His Final Year
by Dinnerroll
Summary: It’s Lily and James in their final year. James knows he’s going to change for Lily. Will she finally stop fighting and love him back?
1. The Head Boy?

His Final Year

Rating: PG-13 later on just to be safe

Summary: It's Lily and James in their final year. James knows he's going to change for Lily. Will she finally stop fighting and love him back?

Disclaimer: No the characters aren't mine ok! Are you happy now? runs away in tears Nah, you know who they belong to.

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**Chapter One: The Head Boy?**

Lily may have had a horrible summer, but that was nothing compared to the upcoming train ride. She couldn't find either of her friends yet, but she'd find them at some point. She sat in their usual compartment, fiddling with her Head Girl badge, wondering who was the Head Boy. Finally, the compartment door opened, but to Lily's utter disappointment, in stepped the Marauders instead of her friends.

"Lily darling! Aw how's my favorite redhead?" Sirius Black had made himself at home by sitting next to poor Lily and throwing his arm lazily over her shoulder.

"In need of a shower because of the physical contact, Black, thank-you." She quickly moved to the other side next to Remus Lupin, the only Marauder she could stand or be friends with. Lily and Remus slowly became friends after being prefects together for two years. Remus just smiled at her.

"How was your summer Lily?" Remus and her were also the only ones on first name basis too.

"Oh don't ask. What about you?" Lily hated discussing summers. Her's was always the same; boring and non-magical.

He just shrugged. "Can't really complain. It was pretty good."

Sirius looked as though Remus just announced he was a woman. "Moony! How could you say it was "pretty good"? It was the greatest summer yet for the Marauders! Pranks, Quidditch, food…uhh…more pranks, Quidditch, and even more food!"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Sounds so very fun Black."

Remus laughed and turned back to Lily. "Where are Melanie and Alex?"

Lily shrugged. "I don't know. I couldn't find them when I got on. But they'll show up sometime. So do you still like Mel?"

Remus looked shocked. "How did you know I even liked her?"

Lily laughed. It was so obvious, at least to Lily and Alex. "I can just tell. Alex knows too. Mel's still clueless though. She is blonde. So do you still like her? I know you liked her last year and the year before that."

"I still can't believe you know." He dropped his voice to a whisper just in case. "Yeah I still like her." He turned bright red. Sirius rolled his eyes and yawned.

"Wait a minute," Lily did a quick look around the compartment, "I'm not as annoyed with you guys as I should. Where's Potter?"

"Well my word Moony!" Sirius exclaimed with plenty of drama and grabbed his heart. "Is it just me or is she worried about our Prongs? This is a defining moment Moony. It's very touching." He wiped a fake tear away.

Again, Lily rolled her eyes, something she did very frequently around Black. "Like I care. I was just curious. I've got to run. Heads meeting. You coming Remus?"

"Is it for prefects? I thought it was just Heads." She just looked at him oddly. Surely he above anyone would be Head Boy. When she didn't make any movement, Remus laughed. "I'm not Head Boy Lily. Someone else is. Congrats on being Head Girl though."

She couldn't believe. She just nodded and said a quick thanks. She headed out the compartment. Who on earth could the Head Boy be? She didn't stop wondering until she hit the Heads compartment. 'Well, you'll figure it out soon, Lily.' She quickly opened the door, only to see the Head Boy's back. 'Wow, he's pretty tall. Seems muscular from what I can see. And a very nice butt!' When he finally noticed someone else in the room, her jaw just dropped. 'Oh no please…'

"Hi Lily. Glad to see you again."


	2. Yeah We Can Be Friends

His Final Year

**Chapter Two: Yeah We Can Be Friends**

"Oh my freaking god no! What are you doing here? Potter, I swear if you are here to ask me out I'll tear your-"

He held up his hands and laughed. "Woah Lily, just wait a minute. I'm supposed to be here I promise. Unfortunately Dumbledore has somehow gone totally insane and made me Head Boy. Now before you say anything because I know you have something to say about that, let me just say that I'm actually surprisingly really happy I got this. And I don't plan to just throw it away. I'm going to try to work really hard to set a good example for the younger students and everyone else. I can do this Lily."

She was taken back. She had no idea James Potter was capable of saying anything like that. "Where did that come from?"

He shrugged. "I did some…actually a lot…of thinking over the summer and realize that I might be an even better guy if I changed just a few things." He flashed her that goofy grin. She looked at his goofy face and smiled back.

"Alright Potter I'm going to trust that you really are going to take this seriously. I just hope you don't screw it up. Maybe Dumbledore isn't completely insane." She gave him a big smile that made him want to jump for joy. _She smiled at me! Hang on, stay calm, DO NOT SCREW THIS UP!_ She sat down in one of the chairs, and he sat in one next to her. "So, Mr. James Potter is going to make some changes about himself? Like what if you don't mind me asking?"

He smiled. "Well, I'm going to try not to pull anymore 'mean' pranks. But I think some just for fun is still ok. But nothing to be rude. Um, I'm going to stop hexing people just for the hell of it. Except for Snivellus, but I really can't help that. He and I never like each other every so he'll try to hex me as much as he can, especially this year. But I won't do it unless it's in self-defense. Let's see what else…I don't know just stuff I think needs to be changed."

Lily noticed that the whole time he was talking, he barely even glanced at her. It almost seemed like he was scared to look at her. "Why the change?"

He shrugged but still wouldn't look at her. "It is my last year until I'm in the real world so I better be the best I can be, especially this year."

She really didn't think that was the whole reason. "James-"

He smiled. "You called me James. No Potter anymore?"

"Don't change the subject unless you want to go back to Potter. I don't believe you. Why are you really making changes?"

He stood up and turned his back to her. "I really don't want to tell you. I'm sorry, it's just…it would change how I want this to go. I mean, we're getting along pretty well, at least right now." He laughed. "I think going to first names is a big step. And I really like this. Being nice to each other I mean. I don't want to change that."

She smiled. He was actually a very sweet guy. "Ok, I don't want to push this out of you. If you really don't want to tell me, then that's cool. But will you promise me something?" She stood up and walked over to him. She stood in front of him, but he still didn't look at her. "If you ever feel like you can tell me, find me and do tell me. Ok?"

He finally looked at her and smiled. "Ok."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Promise?"

"Yes I promise."

"Good. Alright let's do what we need to do and get back to our buddies." She smiled at him again, and he smiled back. They did everything they did and walked toward the door. Lily turned back to James. "Coming buddy?"

He nearly lost his voice. "Buddy? Does that mean we're friends?"

She smiled at him. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "I guess we can try it out. Now, come on! I want to find my other friends too! Let's go!"

James stood up straight and saluted her. "Oh of course Ma'am."

Lily laughed, and they walked out of the compartment as friends.


	3. No Dates, Just Friends

His Final Year

**Chapter Three: No Dates, Just Friends**

Lily and James finally reached her usual compartment and heard laughter inside. Lily got overjoyed to finally be able to see her friends again. It had been all summer, and she had missed them everyday. As she opened the door, she was engulfed in two pairs of arms.

"Lily!" Lily smiled and hugged her best friends back. They hugged for a little while longer and finally let go. Neither had changed at all during the summer.

Mel still had her naturally straight blonde hair, and her sky blue eyes still shined. She stood taller than Lily but shorter than Alex. She still had an amazing figure and knew how to perfectly show it off. She had a jean skirt on with a blue halter-top on that brought out her eyes.

Alex looked exactly opposite. She had very curly, short brown hair and deep chocolate brown eyes. She stood taller than all three of the friends. She had very long legs that she barely liked to show. She had on a pair of jeans she had rolled up to about her knee and an orange polo.

They all looked exactly opposite as each other, but they got along like sisters. After sharing a few more hugs, Lily looked around the compartment. Her jaw dropped as she laid eyes on Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigew sitting there looking at her.

"What the…oh wait a minute…" she had been so excited she had forgotten about James, who was being sweet and wait patiently, giving Lily time to see her friends. She gave him a smile and reached back for his hand. "Sorry…got lost for a second. But anyways…"

The other three Marauders lost complete control over their jaws. They suddenly became disconnected from their heads and hit the ground with a _thud_. After fixing and readjusting, Sirius spoke, or at least tried.

"Wha-I mean-you-an-you-and-huh?"

Everyone gave him blank stares. Remus just shook his head and spoke for him. "I think what our dear Padfoot is trying to say is what exactly are you two doing? And Lily, did you grab Prong's hand just a second ago?"

James blushed. His best friends knew about him too well. Any contact from Lily was happily taken, but it was never willingly given. Lily thankfully didn't notice but stayed strong. "Well-"

Mel gasped. "Oh my god are you guys finally dating? Oh this is so great! Yeah! Took you two long enough I mean come on!"

"Mel! We aren't dating. James is the new Head Boy and since we're going to be around each other a lot this year, we're going to try to be friends."

Everyone turned and looked at James who just grinned. "It's true. Lily and I are leaving everything in the past and starting fresh…as friends." The last few words hurt more than he thought they would. He wanted to be more, but friends would easily do for now. He would take anything he could get with Lily, including friends.

Everyone else seemed too shocked to speak, until finally Remus stepped up and broke the silence. "Well about time. That's great you guys! Now we can finally stop worrying about problems between the groups."

Alex looked pissed. "Hello? Does no one remember me not being able to stand Sirius? I mean come on!"

Everyone else was talking amongst each other, obviously not listening to Alex. Sirius leaned over and whispered in her ear, causing her to get goosebumps.

"Face it Alex. You can't resist me. And they all know it. Just accept it."

She pushed him away, getting more pissed off. "I can not stand you, you inconsiderate, self absorbed, egotistical…"

Lily looked over at James, and they both laughed. "Sound like us don't they?"

James almost couldn't answer he was laughing so hard. "Exactly. I remember all too well being on the receiving end of some very harsh words from you."

"Yeah but you did deserve them. So does that mean they'll become friends someday?"

He just shrugged and grinned, as did everyone else. Alex looked absolutely pissed. "I will never be his friend."

Everyone laughed. "Ok Alex. Whatever you say."


	4. The Potters: A History

His Final Year

**Chapter Four: The Potters- A History**

Lily, James, and the rest of the gang hung out the rest of the ride to school. They told stories, laughed, got to know each other better, and, in the case of Remus and Mel, flirting. They sat across from each other and kept stealing glances at each other whenever possible, telling a story out loud, but truly talking to the other person, and just full on flirting. They were deep in a conversation, while Sirius and Alex were having a little disagreement.

"No way Black. We are never going to go out…ever! And I mean ever!"

Sirius smiled. "Ah, but you are just telling yourself that. You're craving me right now, you just don't want to be ever without me."

Alex looked positively pissed. "If I can't resist you at all, then why aren't we dating?"

Sirius opened his mouth, shut it, opened it, and then shut it again. Alex laughed, knowing he was trying to think of something to say. He seductively grinned at her, as if they had just had sex. "Because of who I am. You're scared to love me because my huge fan club might hurt you. But don't worry…I'll protect you."

Her smile left, and she just stared at him. She leaned forward a little, causing him to get a little scared. She whispered right into his ear. "You're right Black. You might just have to protect me from your fan club. They may get mad…that you want me so bad." She backed away and smirked. He looked like he had just been giving a lollypop, then had it taken away.

He leaned back after a little while and crossed his arms. "I don't appreciate that at all."

Alex smiled, feeling very proud of herself. She laughed a devilish short of laugh. "You want me." He just glared at her.

During their fight, Lily and James had been sitting across for each other, talking, laughing, and having a great time. James had just told Lily about the time Sirius got his head stuck in his bed frame, causing Lily to laugh hysterically.

"Oh my god that's hilarious. You guys are so dumb."

James looked absolutely offended. "Excuse me miss, but how in that story was I dumb?"

She laughed harder. "Come on James. Your best friend's head is stuck in a bed frame, you both are freaking out, and you never thought to get a parent?"

He thought about it and shrugged. "Nope, didn't pop into my head. But I got him out, so it's all good. Sirius just makes everything exciting."

Lily smiled. "So how long have you guys been best friends?"

"Since first year. We met on the train. WE bumped into each other looking for a compartment, so we shared an empty one. We started talking, and we're been best buds since."

"So you guys are really close then? Like brothers?"

James stared at her. "Yeah. How'd you know that? I mean, the brothers thing."

She shrugged. "I've seen you guys together through a lot of stuff. You may have annoyed the hell out of me, but I still noticed the Marauders. Well, it was kind of hard not to, seeing as how one of the members was my stalker." He grinned. "But, I mean, no matter what, you guys were just, like always there for each other. And you guys handled each other's problems like they were your own."

James looked at Sirius trying to seduce Alex and smiled. "Yeah, Sirius is the best. He's always been there for me. No matter what. It's kind of scary, seeing as we were 'supposed' to be natural enemies."

"What do you mean?"

He sighed. "Sirius is a Black. The Black's are related to the Malfoy's, and both families are very deep in the dark arts. Always. I'm a Potter. Potters fight against the dark arts. We always have. It's who we are. The biggest rivals are the Potters and the Malfoys. It's been that way for generations. Everyone in the magical world knows it too. So it was assumed that Sirius would be a Slytherin with Lucius. They would join together and I would be their enemy, and they mine."

Lily was in shock. _Sirius and James, enemies?_ She didn't know what to say. She may not have liked them before today, but she always knew they were inseparable. James noticed she wasn't going to say anything so he went on.

"Yeah, but the second Sirius and I met, we just knew that wasn't how it was going to be. And once he was put in Gryffindor, he was no longer a Black. He became a Potter."

They both smiled at each other. But both of their smiles faded as their compartment door opened, and Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Black, Severus Snape, Bellatrix Black, and Rodolphus Lestrange entered the compartment, smirking.

"Well, well, well. Hello again kiddies."


	5. Sticking Up for Friends

His Final Year

**Chapter Five: Sticking Up for Friends**

The Marauders stood up instantly. They had dealt with these particular Slytherins many, many times before, so they knew what was going to happen. And it wasn't going to be pretty. They each prepared to protect the girls, even though they probably could anyways. They knew how the Slytherins fought, and they were going to make sure Lily, Mel, and Alex were all fine after this.

Sirius laughed. "Kiddies? Come on Bellatrix, that's the greatest you can do? Not that we expected better with your brain capacity anyways."

His cousin just glared at him. Out of everyone in their family, they had the greatest rivalry. They hated each other and were hell bent on making sure the other wasn't ever too happy. "I can't believe my own flesh and blood is a dirty traitor. You're a failure Sirius. Always have been. Being in Gryffindor is bad enough, but being friends with him," she sent an evil glare at James, who happily returned one, "a Potter. The worst kind of them all. Blood traitors the whole lot, befriending Mudbloods and all."

Sirius looked more offended than James. James seemed as though the 'Mudblood' remark hurt worse than the fact that she just insulted his family. Sirius, on the other hand, looked ready to kill. "You stupid bitch. Just because the Potters are such great people and are the most respected people in the whole wizarding world, you feel its your job to make not only yourself, but the whole Black family look like a group of even bigger dumbasses. Great job." He applauded as her face turned to pure hate. Every Slytherin looked ready to murder, and every Gryffindor looked ready to fight. While Sirius and Bellatrix continued to send death glares at each other, Lucius decided to open his mouth and say something just as educated as Bellatrix had.

"Don't let him get to you Bellatrix. He doesn't understand what it's like to be loyal to his own kind. He favors the true traitors of this world of ours."

It was now James's turn to laugh. "Loyal? Yes, because Death Eaters are so truly loyal. You would much rather save each other than your own necks. You don't even know what loyal is."

"Ah, the great and oh so mighty Potter finally speaks."

James grinned. "Aw, I didn't know you felt that way about me Malfoy."

"Please. We Malfoys know about your kind. Your family. Wastes of air if you ask us."

Lily actually spoke up this time. There was no way she was going to let him slide with saying that about James. "Well then it's a good thing no one asked you what you thought. Isn't thinking a little too advanced for you though? I mean, don't you usually have other people think for you and you just do whatever they want?"

Bellatrix gasped. "The Mudblood spoke to you Lucius! She thinks she has a right to actually speak to someone like us!"

James glared. "Don't call her that Bellatrix."

She began to laugh, a horrible high pitch laughter that made them all get goose bumps. The others began to laugh, except Lucius who just smirked. "Aw, isn't it cute Bellatrix? Little Potter sticking up for his Mudblood girlfriend? Filthy little Mudblood can't stick up for herself. Mudblood can't-"

But that's all it took for James. He lunged full on at Lucius and began to fight as hard as he could. The other Slytherins lunged at James, so Remus and Sirius joined the fight. It was a combination of magic and muggle fighting, spells and punches flying everywhere. The girls all backed up at first, way to shocked to do anything. After getting over the first shock and realizing their friends were involved, they joined in and starting firing spells all over the place. Lucius lunged at Lily, but James's Quidditch reflexes were too fast. He grabbed him and threw him up against the wall. The fighting continued, until Lucius stood up and called for the Slytherins to leave. As they all left the compartment, Lucius screamed back to James. "This is not over Potter."

They guys looked like hell. Sirius got a bad kick in the ribs and was out of breath. He also had a slash on his arm that was bleeding. Remus got a punch to the eye, which would be a black eye tomorrow. Peter had stayed back, away from the major fight, so he was just out of breath and shaking. James was definitely worst. He had a busted lip and a huge gash on the side of his face, which was bleeding rather hard. He had gotten a spell to the chest and was having a hard time catching his breath. The girls were all ok, thanks to the guys. They would have been in a very bad state if the guys hadn't been there.

The girls each looked at each other for a moment, then walked over and began to take care of the guys that helped them stay so safe and ok.


	6. Feelings and Laughter

His Final Year

**Chapter Six: Feelings and Laughter**

The girls all spread out all over the compartment. Mel gabbed Remus, sat him down by the door, and conjured some water and things she would need. Alex surprisingly helped Sirius to the seat by the window and also conjured some things she would need for Sirius. Lily noticed the compartment was getting packed, so she looked in the one across from theirs. It was empty.

"Mel, could you help move James to the next compartment so it won't be so crowded? It'll just take a second."

Mel was just about to respond when Remus stood up. "Let me. It'll be easier." Mel stood up and grabbed his arm.

"Are you sure? Lily and I can handle it and-"

Remus smiled and put his hand up to stop her. "I'm fine, thanks to you. It's just over one compartment. And James won't be able to help at all."

James glared at his friend from the floor. "I can still hear you! And I'm fine. My head hurts like a bitch, but I can walk." He tried to stand but couldn't make it off the floor. Lily knelt next to him.

"Enough with the ego Potter. Don't make me hurt you more." She grinned and looked at Remus. "You sure you can manage?"

James laughed. "We Marauders can handle anything!" Sirius started cheering and applauding, as the girls rolled their eyes. 

Remus grinned and nodded. He walked over to James. "Ok buddy let's do this. Lean on Lily and I, we all know us Marauders can't do anything when we're hurt." James looked as his friend and nodded. He knew what he meant. Lily grabbed one of his arms and slung it around her head as Remus did the same. They slowly lifted him up and walked him over to the other compartment. James gritted his teeth harder in pain with each step. They finally sat him up so Lily could fix him up. She looked at Remus, gave him a 'thank-you', and began to conjure what she would need to help James. James and Remus locked eyes and grinned at each other.

"You kicked ass Prongs."

"So did you Moony. Thanks for helping me out. It means a lot." He shot a glance at Lily, who didn't see. Sirius could be heard screaming in the other room.

"Hey! I'm right over here you know! I'd like some recognition if you don't mind!" Alex seemed very peeved with him, causing Remus and James to laugh. Mel walked over and took Remus back to the compartment, leaving James and Lily alone. Lily started to get all the blood that was coming out the gash on his head cleaned off and tried to get it to stop bleeding. She was being very gentle with James, just like he thought she would. He knew she had a very gentle touch to her, and it definitely showed, causing James to smile.

"You're really good at this Lily. You could be a great healer."

She smiled. "Thanks. Maybe I should. I haven't decided yet. What are you going to do? Auror?"

He nodded. "That's my goal. Has been ever sine I was little. Both of my parents are, and their parents were, it's a family thing. Potters just have a drive to do it."

Lily listened intently while he talked. There was something about the way he talked about everything lately that just made her to want more. "I always really wanted to be an Auror, but no one seems to think I'm right for it." She shrugged. "I guess I'm not. Maybe I'm just meant to stay home and take care of kids, if I ever have any. I don't know I-"

James grabbed her hands in his. "Lily, don't ever let anyone tell you can't do something. You're the smartest witch in the whole damn school. You can do anything you want, and don't ever believe different. Ever." He let go of her hands, and neither of them moved for a few seconds. Lily absent-mindly touched his lip where it was bleeding. The contact gave each of them a feeling that caused them to shudder inside. She started healing his lip, while James began to mentally yell at himself for saying what he had said. Lily looked up at him and smiled.

"Thank-you James. I really appreciate that. I really do."

He smiled back. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just think you'd make a fabulous Auror. I'd trust you with my life. You'll do great, no matter what you do. And you will be a mom someday. You'll be a wonderful mom with the greatest kid."

She laughed. "So I'm only having one kid?"

He smiled and nodded. "I think you will. I just can't see you as being one of those people that has seven kids. I can see you with a great career, a successful husband that loves you so much, and a great kid you both love more than anything else. I hope you get it someday."

She couldn't help but just stare at him. She never thought of it before, but he just listed the perfect life for her. She never thought in a million years he would say that to her.

She smiled at him. "So now you're an expert at Lily Evans? You should start a class at Hogwarts."

He gave her a huge, goofy grin. "Potter, future Lily Evans 101 teacher!"

Lily began to laugh, which caused James to laugh, which caused Lily to laugh harder until they laughed so hard they could barely breath.


	7. Emeralds

His Final Year

**Chapter Seven: Emeralds**

The rest of the train ride was calm, except the argument between the guys and the girls about going to see Madam Pomfrey. The girls had done a great job on the guys, but they still felt they should see her. After lots of convincing and begging, the girls finally gave in and said they didn't have to.

Everyone got more than excited when they got off the train. It was such an amazing thing, coming back and seeing the beautiful castle each year. The Marauders sat at their usual seat at their usual table in the Great Hall. James, Sirius, and Remus grabbed the girls and led them over to the table. The guys sat on one side with the girls on the other. Remus sat on the far left, beside James. Sirius was on James's left, with Peter on his left. Mel sat across from Remus, Lily sat across from James, and, with much disappointment, Alex sat across from Sirius.

The sorting seemed to fly by fast, with many new Gryffindors. After another interesting, yet very odd speech from Professor Dumbledore, the feast began. Sirius and James immediately grabbed as much food as they could, causing everyone else to laugh. Alex looked at Sirius, sighed, and rolled her eyes. He stopped eating and looked at her.

"Why were you laughing at Prongs for doing the exact same thing I'm doing, but yet you get annoyed with me? It's because you have deep feelings for me you don't want to show yet right?" He grinned, and she began to laugh.

"Please. You're a nuisance." With that she turned her attention to Lily. Remus and Mel were having their own little talk, causing the others to smile. James stole a quick glance at Lily and blushed when she caught him. She leaned closer to him from across the table and whispered so Mel and Remus couldn't hear her.

"Why doesn't he ask her out already? They both really like each other."

"He's not ready to I guess. He will in time though. He likes her too much not to." He glanced at his friend, a smile growing on his face seeing his friend look so happy. Lily noticed his smile and smiled too. They all had a great time at dinner. After everyone, including James and Sirius, got positively full, Professor Dumbledore stood up and called for everyone's attention. "Students I hope you all have enjoyed the feast. Everyone should now retire to his or her common room; first years follow your prefects. But before we do, I would like to see our Head Boy and Head Girl for this year, so Miss Evans, Mr. Potter if you would join me please." With that, everyone slowly exited the Great Hall. James and Lily stood, bid good-bye to their friends, and walked over to the Headmaster.

"Ah, here you are. I wanted to show you where your Head dorms are for this year. You are allowed to stay in the common room anytime you wish, but these dorms are yours as well. You may friends in the dorms if you wish. Here we are." They arrived at a big wooden door. "You both need to agree on a password."

They looked over at each other, and James smiled. "You can pick it. I trust you."

Lily thought and thought and couldn't really think of one. "Um…" she laughed, "I don't know, I can't think of one. You pick."

James looked at Lily and studied her face. _Man, I love her eyes. They're so gorgeous._ He smiled. "Emerald." She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, I was looking at your eyes and they're really green, it was the first thing that popped in my head. We can change it if you don't like."

She smiled and looked to Professor Dumbledore. "Emerald it is." He smiled and nodded. The doors swung open. They walked into a room that looked a lot like the common room. It had a big couch, two big comfy chairs, a big table to study on, and a huge, blaring fireplace. It had two staircases, which led up to their rooms. There was another door, which they figured led to the bathroom. They walked in and looked all around at the beautiful room.

"Well, I'll bid you both goodnight. You can pick either room; they'll automatically change to fit you and your needs. Sleep well." With a twinkle in his eye, he smiled at the two and left the room. James strode over to the couch and threw himself on it. Lily walked around the room. James just watched her smiling and walking around looking at everything. She looked over at him and smiled.

"Is there a particular reason you're staring at me?"

He blushed and looked down. "Sorry. Just zoned out."

She walked over and sat on a chair. She kept smiling. "Liar." He smiled and looked at her. "So which room do you want?"

He shrugged. "I'll take whatever. I'm easy going."

"Ok then I want that room." She pointed to the staircase on the right. He nodded and yawned. He touched his head where he got the gash in it from before.

"Thank-you for taking care of me…it means a lot to me."

She smiled. "Well, you did start the fight because Malfoy said…that. I should be thanking you for sticking up for me. I'm really glad we're going to be friends this year James."

He smiled and reached over to her, wrapping his arms around her in a hug. "Me too Lily." She smiled and returned the hug.


	8. Hoping, Not Believing

His Final Year

**Chapter Eight: Hoping, Not Believing**

The first week of school flew by fast. The students didn't have any homework, but they knew they'd have a ton the following week. Everyone took advantage of their free weekend and had tons of fun with their friends.

James and Lily hadn't seen much of each other outside of class, but whenever they hung out in their Head dorm, they had a great time. They really liked being so close to each other.

Patrolling the halls every night was always fun too. As Heads, they were to patrol the halls every night from 9-10:30. They were always very responsible, but they also let themselves have fun. As usual, Lily was laughing hysterically at some stupid story James had just told. James started laughing too…her laugh was very contagious.

"Ah, ah, ah…not being very responsible are we?" They spun around and saw, none other, Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black. James moved ahead of Lily to slightly block her.

"It's past hours Malfoy. I suggest you both go back to your common rooms now."

They both laughed. "Isn't it cute Lucius? They think they're superior to us! A Potter and a Mudblood…how adorable!"

Lily saw James tense a little. She knew the Mudblood hit a nerve with him. She thought he would start throwing punches, but he stay surprisingly calm. Lily put a hand on his arm and glared at the two. "Go, both of you."

Lucius dropped his smile and stepped forward. "I'm warning you Mudblood, I will get you someday." He shot a quick glance at James. "Potter won't always be around to save the day. One day, you'll be all alone, but I'll be there. Just you and me Mudblood."

With that Lily stepped forward and, with one swing, punched Malfoy right across the jaw. He hit the floor with a split lip and a bruised ego. Narcissa grabbed him and pulled him up. They both gave Lily and James one finally glare before leaving. Lily turned and looked at James, who seemed as though he were about to cry. Before she could say anything, James grabbed her and hugged her tight. She didn't know what the hell was wrong with him, but she smiled and put her arms around him too.

"I'm so proud of you! That was…that was…that was freaking awesome! You're my hero Lily Evans!" She laughed as he pulled away. He cupped her face with his hands. His smile faded as he just stared deep into her eyes. Lily started getting really nervous, unsure of what he was doing or going to do. She just stared at his eyes. "You have the most amazing eyes Lily." He spoke in such a soft whisper it nearly made her weak. He was so tempting. He seemed to be almost inching in closer, getting so close everything seemed to disappear around them. They were almost in their own little bubble…a little bubble that scared Lily to death.

"James I-I don't know-" She was more scared than she ever had been in her life. She was always so in control of everything in her life, always sure of what was going to happen next, always knew exactly what to do and say. Everything she ever seemed to know just flew out of her mind. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to say. She sure as hell didn't know what was going to happen next. James just continued to stare into her eyes.

"What Lily? Tell me…" She shut her eyes, unable to keep them open. He couldn't believe what the hell he was doing. How in the hell did they get like this? He could tell she was getting scared. He saw it in her eyes. And it caused him to panic. He wanted to be near her, to touch her, to be with her; but he didn't want to ever scare her.

She opened her eyes and grabbed his hands. "I think we should keep patrolling." She took his hands off of her face and walked off. He sighed and just watched her leave. _What in the hell was that? You might have just ruined everything you had going with her! _He just sighed again and slowly started to follow her, hoping but not believing that he hadn't just ruined his chance to keep Lily, even as just a friend.


	9. Taking Risks and Not Giving Up

His Final Year

**Chapter Nine: Taking Risks and Not Giving Up **

James and Lily hadn't spoken to each other much since they patrolled that night. Neither knew exactly what the other meant or what made them do what they themselves did, but it felt as though everything had changed. Their friends had noticed it too.

"Ok Prongs, you've been in a funk for like ever! What's going on with you?" The Marauders were up in their dorm, trying to figure out what was wrong with James and if they could cheer him up. He just shrugged.

"A few weeks ago, when Lily and I went patrolling, something happened." He sighed and sat on Sirius's bed. "We were near the Great Hall…"

"Lily, sweetie what's wrong? You seem really down." Alex was rubbing Lily's arm while Mel tried to talk to her.

"Come on hunny talk to us. We're worried about you." Mel kneeled in front of her and grabbed her hand.

Lily nodded. "Well, a few weeks ago, James and I were patrolling and…"

"You almost kissed her?" Sirius was freaking out. "What the hell do you mean? And she pulled away from you?"

James sighed and Remus glared at Sirius. "Ok, Padfoot you're really not helping this at all." Sirius sat back down next to James.

"Sorry Prongs. I'm just…really surprised."

James sighed again. "What am I supposed to do you guys? I tired so hard to be her friend and it worked! She and I got along so much better than I ever thought we would. And I ruined it. Uhh!" He stood up and ran a hand through his hair.

"He almost kissed you! Like really kiss you? And you pulled away from him?" Mel was hugging Lily tightly as Alex was trying to comprehend everything. Lily nodded.

"I didn't even see it coming. He just hugged me and…oh god this is so wrong!"

Mel kissed the top of her head. "Sweetie it's ok. You know he's liked you forever."

Alex grinned. "Yeah he's asked you out enough." Mel chuckled and Lily smiled slightly. Alex squeezed her hand. "Lily…did you want to kiss him?"

Lily just stared at her friend. "I don't know. And that's what scares me guys. I just…god everything was so great with him. We were getting close, he was so great, I felt like nothing was wrong…and then it just happened." She paused almost as if she were struggling to go on. "I think I might have. I just felt so special with him, like I was something so important. And his hugs…he's so great. I just don't know. I mean, I've hated him forever and now I like him? That's not how anything works."

"Lily relationships are scary." Alex scoffed and said something under her breath that sounded like "not enough guts with Remus" which Mel ignored, "But it's a risk. One you might benefit from."

Alex nodded. "He does care about you Lily. Everyone knows that. It's easy to see you matter to him."

"But it's James Potter. He has a new girl every week. I don't want to have to worry about him and if he'll do something." She paused again. "I think I'm falling for him guys. And I don't know if I want to. I don't know if I want to fall in love with him. If it doesn't work out…he might be one of those guys that you can't let go."

Both of the girls stared at Lily. Mel finally spoke up. "Lily, maybe James is one of those guys you can't let go. Maybe he won't let you go. So don't let him go."

Alex nodded. "Seriously Lily. James just might be a guy you have to risk. You never know what'll happen. It might turn out to be something you can't live without. He might be something you can't live without."

Lily smiled and hugged her friends.

"James, I know this is hard and you might get pissed at me…but are you _positive _Lily's like 'the girl'? We've all dated and slept with girls I mean…is she really more special than any other girl?"

Remus just sighed, hoping this would turn out better than he thought it would. James leaned against the wall and stared at Sirius. "I know. Put together the Marauders have dated more than 75 of the girls at this school. But they don't last. I want Lily and I to last. She's why no one else has lasted. She's why I've never told a girl I loved her. She's why I've never…" He paused and looked down. Remus just waited, unsure of what his friend meant. Sirius on the other hand, seemed to put something together that Remus hadn't.

"Do you mean…are you saying…you haven't slept with anyone?" Remus and Sirius both just stared at James nodded his head.

"I always wanted my first time to be with Lily on our wedding night. I know it's a stretch, but I've always hoped it would be that way, and I know Lily wouldn't ever just do it unless she was in love. So, I don't know, I always wanted it to be the first time for both of us."

Remus and Sirius just stared at him. He looked down at his feet again, feeling embarrassed. No one said anything until Sirius stood up and grabbed James by the shoulder.

"Don't give up on her James." James looked up and locked eyes with him. "I mean it…don't you ever give up on Lily Evans. You'll never forgive yourself if you do."

Remus stood up and walked over to his friends. "Seriously James. If you love her so much, don't let her go. You both will regret it forever."

James smiled the first real smile he had in a long time.


	10. The Scariest Halloween

His Final Year

**Chapter Ten: The Scariest Halloween**

James and Lily still hadn't spoken to each other, let alone about what happened that night. They spoke to each other only when they had to, and even then it was a few words at most. They both knew they should talk about what happened that night, but neither knew why they did what they did. They both tried several times, but they just never could get it out of their mouths.

Days passed, followed by weeks. They both seemed more cheerful after talking with their friends. They were happier than they had been and pretty much seemed back to normal…except when they saw each other. Every time they glanced at each other during patrol, locked eyes in class, or made any other eye contact with each other, they seemed to be sent somewhere else. Their minds wandered someplace, and it wasn't easy to get the other off of their minds.

The weeks of school had seemed to fly by, and before anyone knew it, it was Halloween. Everyone was at dinner, laughing and eating with friends, Lily and her friends sitting with the Marauders. Mel still had the biggest crush on Remus, so Alex and Lily sucked it up and put up with the boys for her sake. Alex somehow managed to usually be arguing with Sirius, but Lily always had one of the girls to talk to. James and Lily always seemed to sit the farthest away from each other as they could.

Alex and Sirius were, to everyone's surprise, talking to each other about class. They seemed to almost be enjoying each other's company; Alex didn't yell at him, and Sirius didn't hit on her. Mel and Lily were chatting away while Remus, Peter, and James were talking. Lily looked all around the Great Hall, noticing that for some reason Professor Dumbledore wasn't present. Just as she was about to say something about it, Lily glanced over to James and saw him laughing, causing her to smile. He turned, looking in her direction, and they locked eyes.

Suddenly, the doors flew open, and everyone present turned to look. Nine or ten black, hooded Death Eaters stood in the doorway, wands out. Before anyone knew what was happening, they started sending curses in every direction. Teachers pulled out wands, sending curses right back at them. The students all took off running, trying their hardest to get out of the Great Hall. A curse went flying and hit the table James and Lily were sitting at. Everyone was immediately thrown to the floor. Remus ran over and helped Mel stand up and looked at James and Sirius. "We've got to get everyone out of here."

James nodded, as did Sirius. Sirius quickly picked up Alex, flung her over his shoulder, and took off toward the door. Remus took Mel and rushed her out as well. Lily was still oh the floor, trying to get up, unable to with everyone rushing so much. Suddenly, she felt someone grab her hand and pull her up. She looked up to see James holding her hand, guiding her toward the door. Even after the existed, he still held her hand. It was chaos, people running everywhere they looked. James quickly whistled so loud everyone stopped and looked.

"Alright, as scary and horrifying as this may be, we really aren't helping doing what we're doing. Ok, fifth years and younger, group together. Go quickly back to your common room and get as many people on the way. If you see someone, take him or her without you, regardless of house. Sixth years and seventh years, the teachers are outnumbered. A large group of sixth years, go and search for Dumbledore. Check anywhere you can. Stay together. No one split up at any time! Seventh years, wands out and get ready to fight!"

Everyone was completely shocked but every person did what James had said. Fifth years and younger ran off toward their common rooms, as most of the sixth years went to look for Dumbledore. The rest pulled out their wands, preparing to enter the Great Hall again. James squeezed Lily's hand and looked at her. They stared at each other for a few seconds, then James lead the way back into the Great Hall, Lily and Sirius right behind him, followed by Alex, Mel, Remus, Peter, and the rest of Hogwart's highest students.

When they entered, most people gasped. Two or three Death Eaters were down, but many were still standing and fighting. The teachers also had some still fighting but not many. James turned and looked at a few students huddled together. "You guys go get the teachers who can't fight anymore and get them out of here. Mel go and help them ok?" They nodded. Everyone took a deep breath and headed off. James disarmed a Death Eater who was about to hit Professor McGonagall from behind. As the Death Eater hit the ground, more turned and fired at the students. Remus and Sirius each grabbed a Death Eater and started dueling. James ran over to help Professor McGonagall who was dueling two at once. Lily and Alex paired up and started dueling as well.

As a Death Eater was just about to fire on Professor McGonagall, James sent a spell that deflected it. She looked over and saw James standing next to her. "Potter! Get out of here this instant! It's too dangerous!"

James laughed. "Doesn't seem like I can leave. You guys seem kind of outnumbered. Plus, there are too many students fighting to get them all out of here now!"

She turned and saw her seventh years fighting. She gasped. "Where is everyone else?"

"Don't worry." He quickly dodged a spell and sent one at a Death Eater. "The younger students are safe. We handled it."

She turned and quickly glanced at her student. She hadn't ever imagined she would be standing next to him as they fought a battle. He looked at her, gave her a reassuring smile, and disarmed a Death Eater. He did a quick glance around the room to find Lily, his eyes finally resting on her. She seemed to be doing just fine, as was Alex. He looked at Remus and Sirius and saw they were fine as well. He noticed that Sirius sent quick glanced at Alex more than once. James grinned and dueled a rising Death Eater.

After what seemed like hours, the doors flew open and Dumbledore stepped in. He gracefully moved around, stopping all the Death Eaters in their tracks. He said one spell that sent every Death Eater to the ground. James was suddenly attacked in a bone-crushing hug. He smiled as he realized it was Professor McGonagall. Sirius and Remus ran over to the girls. Sirius grabbed Alex's arm and began talking to her. Remus checked on Lily, then they all went over to James who was still wrapped in a hug. She finally let go and hugged everyone else. She then quickly ran over to Dumbledore, leaving the group by themselves.

James immediately walked to Lily, looking concerned. "Are you ok?"

She stared at him and gave him a small smile. "A little shaky, but yeah I'm fine. I've never experienced anything like that." She laughed slightly, as though trying to calm herself down. "Guess this is another thing that makes Halloween so scary, huh?"

James nodded and wrapped his arms around her. She hugged him back. James slightly pulled away to face Remus, Sirius, and Alex, but still held on to Lily. "You guys good?"

They all nodded. No one said anything for a while until Remus blushed and spoke up. "Um…can we…can we go find Mel?"

They all smiled, knowing Mel was just fine. Remus lead the way out of the Great Hall, followed by Sirius and Alex. James and Lily were last, James still holding Lily's hand.


	11. I Don't Plan To

His Final Year

**Chapter Eleven: I Don't Plan To**

It had been roughly a week since the Death Eater attack, and life still wasn't completely back to normal at Hogwarts. Every student had questions, most of which didn't have answers. Dumbledore had been too busy trying to figure out what was going on to answer any questions anyways. Classes had been cancelled for a week, so it was everyone's first 'back-to-normal' day. The Gryffindors had Transfiguration with the Slytherins, and everyone was hoping that Professor McGonagall would give them some questions.

Lily and her friends walked toward the second row on the right, which were their usual seats in the Transfiguration room. As she passed James and the Marauders, sitting two rows away on the opposite side, she noticed James was leaning back on his chair with a grin on his face. He didn't see her glance at him, just kept talking to Sirius. She quickly smiled and joined her friends as Professor McGonagall entered the room.

"Alright class today isn't going to be a normal lesson. You won't be needing your wands or books, so you may put everything away." The students all exchanged glances, but no one said a word. "As you all know, Death Eaters attacked the school a week ago. There are certain things that no one knows yet, such as how they got in the school. Professor Dumbledore feels that you should all be warned and be told about You-Know-Who. So, this is what we know. You-Know-Who is…"

About a forty-five minutes later, every sat, completely stunned. A few people had their mouths open, some were still trying to understand everything, and a few girls in the back were near tears. Lily and her friends sat shocked; none of them had really known exactly who Voldemort was and what he had done. Lily looked over at James, noticing he didn't have any real change. He wasn't smiling, but he looked as though he knew exactly what she was saying; Lily figured he had heard everything McGonagall had just said from his parents more than once. He was looking at Lily, as though watching to make sure she was ok, not turning away when they're eyes met. Lily finally turned away when she heard Mel's voice.

"Professor, how does Professor Dumbledore think they got in here?"

"He doesn't know. He's got many guesses but doubts each of them. It'll be shocking if we ever figure it out."

"Oh please. It's obvious isn't it?" Everyone turned and looked at none other than Lucius Malfoy. "Death Eaters are under The Dark Lord's power. He must have easily found a way to get them in here with how evil his power is."

Professor McGonagall raised her eyebrows. "Hogwarts is the safest location in the wizarding world, Mr. Malfoy. I highly doubt he could have an easy way in."

Lucius grinned slightly so most didn't notice. "Yes, but no one knows the extent of his power. The Dark Lord has a great amount of power, to which can't be matched…"

"Bullshit." Everyone flew around and stared hard at James. He was still tilted back his chair, staring intently at Lucius, who was staring right back.

He stood up and walked over to James, putting his hands on James's desk. "You got something to say to me Potter?"

James didn't budge. "Yeah, actually I do. His powers can't be matched huh? If he's so almighty and powerful, why didn't he attack the school personally?" Everyone was looking back and forth, watching both of the guys, including Professor McGonagall. "Why does he need Death Eaters to do it? Why does he need Death Eaters at all?"

Lucius just stared at James, unsure of the answer. "How should I know? It's not like I know him personally or something."

James scoffed, clearly unconvinced. Lucius turned and glared at James. "I would watch it if I were you Potter. You never know when suddenly something might happen to you. I personally wouldn't bet on you making it to the end of the year, the way you parade yourself around."

James grinned. "Try and think logically Lucius about what you're saying, if you can think at all. You don't want to come off…evil, do you?"

Lucius got right up in James's face. "You're as good as dead Potter. As is everyone you come in to contact with." He made a slight nod to the Marauders. "The Dark Lord won't take people like you in his way. He values power, and you don't have it. Hanging out with traitors," he glanced at Sirius, before turning his glance at Lily and smirking, "hoping to one day to get laid by a Mudblood…"

Before anyone had any time to react, James punched Malfoy harder than he had ever hit anyone in his life. Lucius was thrown to the floor with a severely bloody lip. James stood up and walked over to him and grabbed him by his shirt. "I swear, if I ever hear another word about her come out of your goddamn mouth Malfoy, and I will hurt you more than I've ever thought about hurting anyone. You ever come after her, and I will make it my job to come after you. If I ever hear that you said anything about her, I promise I will take great pleasure in making sure it's the last thing you say." He threw him back on the ground and stood up. Professor McGonagall walked over to them.

"Everyone out of this room now! Mr. Malfoy, detention for the rest of the week. Mr. Potter, you stay where you are. Now go." Everyone rushed out of class, including Malfoy. Sirius, Remus, and Lily stayed where they were. "You three as well. He'll be out shortly." Lily glanced at James again, and he was staring right back at her. He turned and looked at Sirius and Remus, who weren't budging.

"Go on you guys. I'll meet you outside." He nodded at them, looking at Lily once more. Remus led the way, Sirius surprisingly holding Lily's arm to pull her away. She and James kept eye contact until the door shut. Everyone was still outside, with the exception of a few Slytherins, obviously not wanting to miss what happened. Sirius, Remus, and Lily meet Mel and Alex outside, and they all waited for James to come out.

James had continued to stare at the door, even after she had exited it. Professor McGonagall watched him and smiled. "You really do love her don't you?"

James, being suddenly brought back to reality, turned and looked at her. "What?"

She continued to smile and sat him down at the desk. "Potter, I'm not blind. I watch each of my students grow up in front of my eyes each year. Everyone changes from being first years to seventh years. Most date different people throughout the years, going on to fall in love with someone they never knew at Hogwarts. But you…you meet Ms. Evans first year and have loved her ever since am I wrong?"

He shook his head. He would never forget the moment he meet Lily, accidentally knocking her down in front of the train. The way her eyes gleamed at him as he helped her up.

"I know how much you care about her. Though you may have annoyed the poor girl for six years, she always came before you did. You were always there to protect her, even though she could fend for herself. You always gleamed from the back of the class when she answered a question right. Your eyes would always wonder over and find her." She put her hands on his shoulders and stared deep into his eyes. "I know it may be hard at times, but stay with her. She cares about you too James." His eyes snapped at the sound of his name. He had never been anything but Potter to her before. "Lily and you are destined. It's easy to see…make her happy James." She smiled.

After a while, he smiled back. "I hope I always can."

She stood and walked toward the door. "Alright Potter, I'm not going to punish you today. Frankly, detentions don't seem to work with you, and Gryffindor is in the lead so no points will be taken. But no more fights ok?"

James smiled and hugged her. "Ok, I'll try." He let go, but looked at her again before leaving. "Thank-you."

She smiled and nodded. He exited the class, meeting the rest of the students there. Everyone was anxious to know what punishment he got.

"Did you get expelled…detentions for the rest of the year…kicked off the Quidditch team…?

"Hey!" Sirius turned and hollered at everyone. "Why don't you guys shut up so he can answer huh? Sound good to anyone else?" He turned anxiously at James, worried about his best friend's punishment. Alex noticed and surprising held his hand. "Well?"

James just looked at Lily. "She told me not to let Lily go." He seemed to almost stare harder at her. "And I don't plan to." With that, he walked through the crowd, stopping to tell Sirius and Remus he'd see them at dinner, leaving everyone standing there. Slowly people filed away, until it was just the Marauders, Lily, Alex, and Mel. Lily just stood there, staring the place James had just been. Mel and Alex walked over, and they all walked away together.

Remus and Sirius smiled at each other. They just turned and walked off, knowing they'd find James eventually, staring at Lily during dinner.


	12. Two Fools in Love

His Final Year

**Chapter Twelve: Two Fools in Love**

Talk traveled extremely fast about the incident in Transfiguration; everyone was talking about what they had heard happened at dinner. Alex and Mel entered the Great Hall rolling their eyes about the gossipy students. They saw the Marauders sitting at a table, surprisingly not eating. They walked over and sat down next to them. Everyone looked at each other, then glanced at James. He didn't look at them. They didn't think he knew they were there until he spoke. "Where's Lily?"

Alex stared at him and sighed. "She didn't feel like coming down. She's fine…she took a walk. She's just a little confused about everything." James continued to look down, trying not to look at anyone. Mel reached over and grabbed his hand while Alex talked to him. "You know, we both think it's really sweet how you won't give up on Lily. We've known Lily for a long time, and you're definitely the only guy for her. We wouldn't be happier with any other guy for her."

James looked at the girls. "Really?"

The both smiled at him. Mel chuckled. "Of course. You're great for her."

James smiled. "Thanks you guys." He stood up and hugged both of them, then looked at Sirius and Remus. "I'm going to take a walk before patrolling. I'll see you guys."

They both nodded. James exited the Great Hall, leaving the four of them alone. Everyone was down, worried about both Lily and James. Alex kept glancing at Sirius, who noticed each time she did it. Remus reached over and held Mel's hand, who gladly took his in return. They all just sat there, hoping everything worked out between their friends.

* * *

Lily walked outside of her room, bracing herself to see and talk to James. When her hand touched the doorknob, she sighed. She closed her eyes and opened the door. She saw James, his back turned to her. He was throwing his robe on, obviously done getting ready. He turned and saw Lily standing in her doorway.

"Ready to go?" 

She nodded and walked out of their dorm, James trailing behind her. They walked in silence for quite some time, Lily just a step ahead of him. They walked all around the school, not running into anyone. Lily couldn't hear anything other than her and James walking. After some time, she didn't hear James walking behind her. She stopped and turned, seeing James stopped and staring at her.

"Lily, what are we doing? We can't avoid each other forever. We need to talk." Every so often he would take a step toward her, finally stopping with about a step distance between them.

Unable to speak, Lily nodded. She knew James was right; they did need to talk. So much had happened and they hadn't talked about it. They just stared at each other, neither able to speak. Lily decided to try to say something, not quite sure what exactly what to say. "James why…"

She paused, unsure of what to say next. She looked down, and James took another step toward her, standing right next to, able to touch her if he put his arm out. He dropped his voice almost to a whisper. "What? Ask me."

She looked up and knew she wouldn't be able to look away. He was staring deep into her eyes, almost trying to find something. She stared hard into his eyes, searching for his soul. It hit her…he was searching her eyes for her soul as well. She sighed and closed her eyes. "Why did you try to kiss me?"

He sighed but kept staring in her eyes. "I honestly don't know. Can you honestly say you didn't want me to?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I can't answer that. I just don't understand this. I mean…I never expected you to do that and-"

He cut her off. "Can you honestly say you thought I wouldn't go for you if I had the chance? Lily, I wanted to be your friend the minute I saw you. I wanted you to be mine the second I saw your eyes. I wanted to kiss you the moment I saw your lips."

Lily backed away, slowly getting angry. "You can't just tell me that! You can't annoy the hell out of me for six years, be my friend for a few weeks and expect me to jump into bed with you! I'm not like that!"

She expected James to get pissed, but he looked hurt. "You think that's why I wanted to be your friend? So I could sleep with you?"

She scoffed. "That's how you and the other Marauders do it. Charm a girl off her feet, sleep with her, and never speak to her again. Can you tell me that if you didn't get the chance you wouldn't sleep with me?"

"No Lily, not unless you were ready. I wouldn't ever want to disrespect you like that…or hurt you. And just so you know, I'm a virgin, just like you." She scoffed again. "I swear. Yes, we Marauders date a lot. And yes, sometimes we aren't the greatest about it. But have you ever heard one of the girls I dated talk about having sex with me?" She just stared at the ground. It was true; no girl had ever talked about sleeping with James. She'd heard girls talk about Sirius and Remus but not James. When she didn't say anything, James ran a hand through his hair. "At least that means no ones lying about me."

"Ok so you've never slept with anyone. How do I know I wasn't going to be different? How in the hell am I supposed to know that you wouldn't just sleep with me and leave me?"

She turned around, preparing to walk away but turned back to say something else. "Yes you may be a sweet guy. Yes you may stick up for me when I get called a 'Mudblood'. Yes you may save my life during a Death Eater attack. But I'm not just going to fall in your arms and get all lovey-dovey with you. I'm not the typical girl James."

"You think I don't know that. Tell me Lily…" he stepped closer to her again so he was right in front of her, "…would you want anyone else to stick up for you? Or grab your hand during a Death Eater attack? There are tons of girls Lily, and yes, you're not a typical girl. That's why I stuck up for you. That's why I held your hand during the Death Eater attack."

He sighed again. "Lily, I've never felt like this before. I've never been able to just look at a girl and that's all I needed. You have no idea what you do to me Lily. I'm not happy unless you're within my eyesight. I'm not scared unless you're in danger. I'm not broken unless you're not around."

Lily had tears in her eyes but fought not to cry. "James I can't do this." She turned and walked away, until James ran ahead of her. "Lily, you always do this. You always push me away. You can't face me when you need to. Why are you so scared of me?"

She backed away. "I'm not scared of you James Potter. Just leave me alone. I don't want to deal with this."

She turned and tried to walk away again. She suddenly felt two arms grab her and push her up against the wall. She looked and stared right into James's eyes. He was so close to her…

"God damn it Lily, stop pushing me away! You can't keep trying to get rid of me. I can't…" His voice dropped to a whisper. "Lily, I can't not be with. And no, I don't just want you so I can say you're mine. I don't want to just be able to kiss you whenever I want. And I would never hurt you. I would die first. I need you. I dream about your eyes, I melt at your smile, I crave your touch." He stared deeper into her eyes. "Do you still want to know why I changed?"

She felt a tear rush across her cheek. He still hadn't realized her hands from his against the wall, and she honestly didn't want him to. She knew he loved her. She nodded.

"Because of you. I knew that I would never be yours unless I changed. And I never really thought I would ever change for a girl. But you know what…I would do it all over again. I'm yours Lily, whether you want me or not. I belong to you, no one else. My heart, my soul, everything about me, I've given it to you. I love you Lily Evans."

She didn't want to look at him, but she couldn't stop. "James I don't know if I can do this."

He moved his face closer to hers. "Why not Lily? Why are you scared to be with me?"

She felt another tear fall on her cheek. He watched her eyes, full of tears. He was so tempted to let her go forever, just so she would never have to cry for him ever again. He was about to let her go when she spoke. "Because I've never loved anyone before you."

He stared at her for a second, taking in what she said. He bent his head down and kissed her passionately. Lily almost came unglued. She knew she would have fallen down if he wasn't still holding her up against the wall. She quickly began kissing him back, wanting every bit of him. He tried to be gentle, but he had wanted this more than anything for the past six years. He nearly collapsed when he felt Lily kiss him back. He slowly ran his tongue along her bottom lip, not sure if he should or not. Lily tensed for a moment, slowly opening her lips. They kissed even deeper, both wanting more and more.

They slowly parted, both keeping their eyes closed even after the kiss ended. They both opened their eyes and stared at each other again. James was worried Lily would regret it but was quickly proven wrong when Lily kissed him once more. It was very gentle; it was a kiss to let James know Lily was happy and just fine. Lily pulled away first, revealing a grinning and very happy James. He finally let go of her hands and rested his on her hips as hers wrapped around his neck. He rested his forehead against hers, and they just stood there, staring at each other, grinning like fools…two fools in love.


	13. Be With Me?

His Final Year

**Chapter Thirteen: Be With Me?**

James and Lily entered a full common room at 11:00, two hours after they had left to patrol. They were both red in the face and grinning. Everyone turned to look at them, and they both knew it. Lily looked at James one last time and headed upstairs to her old dorm room, motioning for Alex and Mel to follow.

James just stood there and watched her leave, still grinning. The Marauders walked over and took James upstairs as well. Once the door to their dormitory was shut, James bounced up and down hugged them all. "We kissed! I kissed her!" Sirius and Remus nearly fell down while Peter tried to understand whom 'she' was. James stopped bouncing around and collapsed onto his bed, breathing heavily and still grinning. "That's right…I, James Potter, kissed none other than Miss Lily Evans!"

Sirius shouted a big 'Woo-hoo' and jumped on James's bed. Remus laughed and jumped on his bed too. Peter just stood there, still confused. "So wait a minute…you kissed Lily?"

The other guys just stared at him. Remus turned to James, a smile still on his face. "So what happened?"

James sighed happily. "I kissed her…and she kissed me back."

Sirius went bug-eyed. "She kissed you back?"

James nodded. "She kissed me back. It was so amazing! Oh man that girl can kiss!"

Sirius and Remus looked at each other and grinned. They started making kissy noises and falling all over James. James just laughed. "Go ahead, make jokes. Nothing in this world could possibly ruin this moment for me."

Remus and Sirius stopped and smiled at him. Sirius put a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "We're really happy for you Prongs. So Miss Lils can kiss huh?"

"Oh god like no one else! Seriously," he sat up, "I've never experienced a kiss like that. It wasn't just a normal kiss with a hot girl I was attracted to. It was…it was so…it was so…"

"Magical." They all spun around and saw Lily standing in the doorway, grinning. She and James locked eyes and smiled at each other. Remus and Sirius winked at each other. Lily cleared her throat. "Um…James, could I talk you?" She turned and looked at Remus and Sirius. "Do you mind if I borrow him for a little while?" They both grinned and nodded.

James stood up and walked over to Lily. She turned around, and they walked downstairs, through the common room, still filled with people staring at them as they went. They walked silently through the halls, finally ending up standing in the Head dorm. James was just about to say something when Lily's lips suddenly attacked him. She grabbed him around the neck and kissed him…hard. He gave in and kissed her back, wrapping his arm around her waist, another on her lower back. She finally drew away and stepped back, laughing.

"Sorry, I literally couldn't stop myself. Ok, I really did want to talk, I didn't mean to attack you or anything I just…"

James laughed and walked over to her, putting his hands on either side of her face. "It's ok. How about we just," he moved to the couch, leaving her standing, "talk?"

She smiled and walked over to the couch, sitting close to him but not too close. She took a deep breath, causing James to silently chuckle to himself. "Harder than you thought it'd be?"

She laughed slightly. "Yeah. I've never really…had this happen…well, at least this way. There's usually an actually…asking out thing before diving straight in you know?"

James laughed. "I know what you mean. I've never quite done it this way either." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, easily put…I love you Lily. It may be hard to believe, but it's true. Everything I told you is true. I want to be with you…plain and simple." He chuckled and ran his hand through his hair again. "Ok, you know where I stand…what about you?"

She sighed. "I really don't know. It's so weird…I honestly never thought I'd be here with you like this. I mean, I hated you for six years James. That's a long time."

James nodded. "Fair enough." He made to get up when he felt Lily grab his arm. He turned and met her eyes, slowly getting comfortable again.

"I just…you were this arrogant, annoying, pompous jerk for six years of my life. But then all of a sudden…you changed. You're so great…you're smart, funny, sweet, and I know that you care about me James. I know that. And I guess what scares me so much is that I really care about you too. It's like I said last night…" she inched closer to James and looked down at her lap, "I've never loved anyone before you. I may not even be in love with you. But all I know is that I'm crazy about you …everything's so scary but nothing's scary at the same time…I'm scared to be with you, scared to be without you …I'm scared to kiss you, scared to not be able to kiss you…"

James caught her off guard by kissing her sweetly on the lips. He gently caressed her cheek as she finally gave him and gently kissed him back. He pulled away and rested his head on hers, kissing the top of hers. He held her as he spoke in nothing but a whisper. "Lily…could you ever be with me?"

Lily sighed and breathed in his scent, debating his questions. She spoke so softly he almost missed what she had said. "Yes."

He smiled and cupped her face. "Then let's take it slow. Lily, you know I would never hurt you ever. So just…be with me. We'll take it as slow as you want. Just please Lily…be with me?"

Lily smiled and kissed him harder than they previously had. They tasted every inch of each other; they couldn't get enough of each other. When they finally parted, Lily smiled and nodded her head. "Ok." James grinned and pulled her into an embrace. They just held each other for a moment, until James sighed.

"So…was I really pompous?" Lily just laughed and kissed him again, their very first kiss as an official couple.


	14. Sirius Concerns

His Final Year

**Chapter Fourteen: Sirius Concerns**

James and Lily had never had the fairy tale romance. James had never been her 'knight in shining armor'; he was far to busy being the joker that annoyed her. Lily had never been the 'damsel in distress'; she probably would have kneed him in his happy place if he ever tried to rescue her. They never had a 'love at first sight, can't live without you, marry me now' type of romance. If asked, they would have said they had something better.

They had decided to take their newfound romance slow and at their pace. Everyone at Hogwarts knew only too well that everyone else lived to gossip. Gossip had a reputation of destroying quite a few couples at Hogwarts, but Lily and James decided that they were the ones who were going to call the shots in their relationship. They felt that they're close friends should be the first to know; everyone else could figure it out on their own. They walked into the common room, winked at each other and headed upstairs to their old dorms. James and the other confused Marauders were first down, James stopping them to wait for Lily. She, followed by her confused friends, came down after about a minute.

James and Lily smiled and led the way, their friends exchanging glances behind them as they followed. James and Lily gave the password to their dorm room, guiding everyone inside. Everyone sat down except them, who stood right next to each other, grinning.

Alex sat on the edge of the couch, Mel sitting between her and Remus. Sirius took the chair and cleared his throat. "So what's up?"

James and Lily looked at each other, both trying to figure out what to do first. James gave her a wink and took a breath. "Ok guys…Lily and I as you might have heard…during patrolling we kissed." When James got no gasps from the girls, he turned to Lily, who was smiling.

"What? You didn't really think I wouldn't tell them did you?" James just smiled and looked back at everyone, still as confused as when they got there.

"Ok, well Lily and I have talked and we've decided…" Lily smiled and grabbed his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. James smiled and sighed. "Guys…Lily and I are a couple now."

Everyone nearly wet themselves. No one said anything; their jaws had dropped too low to even make words. They just stared at their smiling friends, unable to say a word. Sirius finally fell back and screamed a huge "woo-hoo!" as everyone else started coming to. Sirius jumped up and hugged James, then Lily, the others following his lead. James and Lily started laughing and hugged everyone back.

Alex giggled. "Ok spill, all the gory details, leave nothing unsaid!"

James and Lily laughed and told them everything. The others sat and watched them, their eyes getting bigger each time a particularly surprising event occurred in the retelling. Mel and Alex looked as though they could've started crying and ran over and hugged them both again. Remus sat back and whistled, looking at the couple and grinning. Sirius just stared at them blankly. Everyone started talking laughing. Sirius walked over and leaned close to Lily.

"Lily can I talk to you alone for a second?" Lily stared at him; he looked very concerned, almost as though something was wrong. She smiled and nodded, leading him into her room. She motioned to her bed, and he sat down as she sat next to him. He sighed heavy and Lily tensed. Sirius laughed.

"Don't worry I'm not here to tell you I'm madly in love with you and I'll kill James if you don't break it off with him." Lily laughed and relaxed. Sirius looked down at his feet and sighed again. "Truth is Lily…James is my best friend…he's like a brother to me and I really care about him. He's always been there for me; he's the coolest guy in the world…and he cares about you Lily, more than I've ever seen him care about something. For the past seven years all the Marauders have heard from him is 'Lily this and Lily that and oh my god you guys Lily just blinked or oh Lily just turned a page in her book'."

He stopped and sighed again, looking up at her eyes. "He loves you Lily more than anything. Look what I'm trying to say is…please please don't break his heart. I'm not saying you automatically would or anything…" He hesitated for a moment but she didn't say anything. "All I'm saying is that he's going to be the happiest guy in the world now that you guys are together. He's going to be so amazingly happy and he'll be the greatest guy you'll ever hope to get…please don't hurt him. He loves you so much; don't break his heart. It'll destroy him. Just…"

Lily reached over and squeezed his hand. "Sirius, I'd never try to hurt James. I care about him too, and I love him. I'd never want to hurt him; I know he'd never hurt me. I love him too much to ever break his heart. And I'd never try and take him from you guys either."

Sirius smiled. "Really?"

Lily laughed. "Of course…no matter how long James and I are together, you guys come first. You're his friends and you guys matter so much to him. I'd never try to take that from him or you or Remus or Peter." She laughed. "It helps that he's got such great friends…at least I don't have to put up with assholes all the time." Sirius looked at her again. "You guys don't mind having to hang out with a girl now do you?"

Sirius laughed and threw his shoulders back, trying to look as manly as he could. "Ha, me, Sirius Black, ever have a problem with a female? Let me tell you this, that's not even possible Lily Evans!" Lily started laughing and headed toward the door.

"Come on…James probably thinks we're doing it in here or something." With the best timing possible there was a loud knock at the door. James's voice was heard through the door, clear as day.

"You guys better not be humping in there or so help me god…"

Lily opened the door and kissed James right on the lips. Remus, Sirius, Mel, and Alex started cheering, causing Lily and James to pull away, laughing.

Remus started laughing. "I still can't believe after seven freaking years James finally won you over." At this Sirius and Remus went into a fit of laughter, causing the girls to laugh. James and Lily just smiled at each other and kissed again.

**Author's Note: Well, now their friends know. I just wanted to clear something up…I always imagined James and Sirius having a very close relationship together. They're going to be very close throughout hard times (RED ALERT: HUGE HINT TO UPCOMINGNESS!) so expect them to always be there for each other. Sirius comes from a horrible family so he has to rely everything on James. Just to clarify…hope you liked the chapter!**


	15. Truths and Bastards

His Final Year

**Chapter Fifteen: Truths and Bastards**

Word travels fastest at Hogwarts, something James and Lily learned the next morning at breakfast. They walked in later than everyone else, holding hands, not caring what the other students had to say. From moment they entered to the moment they sat down next to their friends all eyes were on them, everyone turning away after they sat down to discuss what everyone just witnessed with those around them.

Their fellow Gryffindors smiled or laughed, relieved that James had finally won Lily over. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were excited, knowing that they would make a great couple. The Slytherins sat, completely stunned. James and Lily could care less; they were together and that was all that mattered.

Breakfast turned out to be easier than expected, as did the rest of the day. Several people approached James and Lily throughout the day, congratulating them. It was a relieve to everyone, considering pretty much everyone at Hogwarts knew they would end up together eventually.

Dinner arrived faster than expected, the talk about the new couple still going strong. James and Lily sat with their friends, talking and laughing, nothing major occurring until Mel spoke up. "Guys, where's Remus at?"

Lily looked over, noticing that he was in fact missing. She turned to James who had locked eyes with Sirius the moment Mel brought it up. Sirius finally looked down, James turning to Mel. "His mom is sick so he's visiting her. She has some kind of disease or something, so he has to visit her often. He doesn't really like to talk about it so we don't know much. He'll be back tomorrow I think." James and Sirius both went straight back to eating, and Mel and Alex dropped it. Lily knew there was something more; she'd asked James about it later.

Dinner ended soon after and James walked Lily back to the Head dorm, stopping in front of the door. "I just remembered I promised Sirius and Peter that we'd have a 'guys night'. So I'm just going to bunk with them tonight, ok?"

"Yeah that's cool. Um…" she paused, unsure if she should go on, finally deciding she would. "…is there something about Remus or his mom that you didn't tell us at dinner?"

James tensed for a quick moment, relaxing after a second and laughed. "Not that I know of. Like I said, Sirius and I don't know much, just that his mom is sick. Why do you ask?"

Lily shrugged. "I don't know. Just wanted to check I guess." She smiled and kissed him. "Go have fun. Tell them I said hey." He smiled and kissed her again, rushing off to meet his friends. Lily laughed and called after him. "Don't get into too much trouble!"

Just as he was about to pass the corned, he turned back to her, still running. "We will…we're the Marauders!" She laughed and headed inside, deciding she'd relax and maybe take a walk later on.

_**

* * *

**_

Lily threw on her robes and headed outside. She was so glad it was Friday; no patrolling. Not that she didn't like it, but she might have had to do it herself, something she never liked to do. She exited the doors, glad that it was dark. She always loved nighttime better than daytime. She smiled and hugged her cloak tighter around her body as she exited the doors, deciding to just walk around the lake.She had just reached the lake when she saw something emerge from the Forbidden Forest. It was some kind of animal, one that Lily couldn't identify from so far away. She stopped, hoping whatever animal it was hadn't seen her. She slowly backed up, trying to be as quiet as she could so it wouldn't notice her.

Lily held her breath as it looked up. It looked around, its eyes stopping on her. It seemed to slink over slowly, trying to figure her out. She started moving faster and faster toward the castle. It broke into a fast run, going straight at her. She gasped as she realized what it was. She'd never seen a werewolf in all her life, and now as she had one coming right at her she wished it wasn't. It was faster than any animal she'd ever seen; she didn't even have time to turn around. It was less than ten feet away before she knew it, and she had no idea what she was going to do.

Before the werewolf could reach her, a huge animal darted out of the side of her eye, ramming straight into its sides. The werewolf was thrown several feet, a large, beautiful stag standing where it had been struck. Lily stopped dead, unable to move. The werewolf ran at her again, but the stag hit it in the side again.

After the werewolf got up, it turned toward the stag and howled. The stag stood ready to charge. The werewolf ran straight at it; the stag just stood there, its head bent down, two huge antlers striking the werewolf once it got close enough. Lily looked back toward the woods as she heard a loud bark. A huge black dog came running full force at the werewolf as the stag ran at the werewolf as well. The dog charged as fast as it could at the werewolf, fighting and biting at it. The stag turned to Lily, stared at her for a moment, then charged at her. She gasped as she saw it transform into a human, running straight at her. Her heart completely stopped beating as she saw whom it was.

"James?" James was running at her, not stopping once he reached her. He simply grabbed her around the waist and tossed her over his shoulder, causing her to shriek. He just kept running, finally stopping inside the doors. He turned and looked deep into her eyes.

"Lily, go straight up to the dorm. I'll be back later tomorrow. I've got to help Sirius." He turned away from her when he heard a deep growl and what seemed to be a struggle between the animals. He turned back quickly, kissing her forehead. "Go, I'll explain everything later." With that, he turned back into a stag and hurried off, back outside.

Lily watched him go, standing there for a moment after he left. She quickly hurried back inside, running all the way to the dorm. She ran straight over to the window, furious when she couldn't see anything. She walked over and sat on the couch, breathing heavily. She wrapped her robes tighter around her body, lying on the couch. She had no idea what had just happened and she didn't care. All she cared about was if James was all right. She didn't stop thinking about him, even after she finally drifted to sleep.

**_

* * *

_**

"Lily. Lily, sweetheart wake up." Lily slowly opened her eyes, realizing it was very late in the afternoon. She sat up and saw James, Sirius, and Peter, James and Sirius looking very tired and drained. Sirius was standing over her, yawning. James was kneeling by her, smiling at her. "Hi."

She smiled for only a moment, slowly remembering what happened last night. She sat up, realizing she slept on the couch. She looked both James and Sirius over, almost checking to make sure they were really there. "Are you guys ok?"

They both nodded, and Lily threw her arms around James. He laughed, wrapping his arms around her and rubbing her back. "We're ok, I promise." She finally let go of him, only to give him a kiss. She stood up and hugged Sirius, who hugged her back.

Sirius cleared his throat once she let go. "Um…about last night…we…well we actually…" James laughed slightly, almost as if to try to lighten the mood.

"We know that last night was…confusing." She chuckled and nodded. "But we can explain everything. Just not here ok?"

Lily nodded as James took her hand. Sirius led the way, followed by James and Lily, still holding hands. Lily had no clue where they were going. She got very confused when they stopped in front of the hospital wing. "What…"

Sirius opened the door. "Just wait." They walked in, peering around. No one was there…until Lily noticed Remus. Madam Pomfrey must have been in her office; there wasn't a sign of her anywhere. Remus looked over at them, his eyes barely glancing at Lily before turning away.

James looked at her and led her over, putting her in a chair next to his bed. He sat next to her, Sirius and Peter both pulling up a chair on the other side of Remus. Nobody spoke for quite some time, James finally chuckling to break the silence. "Did anybody think it would be this hard?"

Everyone else chuckled, agreeing with him. No one really knew what to say; last night was very hard to grasp. Remus sighed, realizing he had to be the first to explain. "Um…I didn't want James or Sirius to talk to you because I felt that I needed to do it." He looked down, unable to look her in the eye. "When I was little, I was in an accident. I…was bitten by a werewolf."

Lily's eyes became huge. Remus still hadn't looked her in the eye. "It was so hard; I became a monster once a month and I couldn't control it. Dumbledore sorted everything out and I got to come to school, which was probably the hardest thing. I had no idea what would happen, what people would do. Well I met this lunatics," James and Sirius grinned. "And eventually, they found it all out…and they…"

James smiled. "Sirius, Peter, and I became Animagi." He chuckled. "Took us five years, but we finally did it, and we've been sneaking out ever since to be with dear Moony here every time he transforms."

Lily was in pure shock; it was a lot to take in. Remus looked scared and embarrassed. Sirius and Peter looked worried. James, on the other hand, looked relieved, almost as though he had wanted to tell her all of this years ago. "Hunny I know it's a lot to swallow and it's really difficult."

Lily looked at him and smiled. She reached over and hugged Remus, who tensed up. He slowly relaxed, unsure of what to do next. She let go and he finally met her eyes. "You're not scared of me?"

Lily burst out laughing. "Are you kidding? Remus Lupin, you are far too sweet to scare anybody, I'm sorry." The other smiled, as did Remus. "It's ok. It's not your fault anyways."

"But I could have really hurt you last night. I mean…I could have killed you." He looked down again, causing Lily to smile.

"But you didn't. Everything ended up ok. And besides…" She looked at Sirius and Peter, her eyes stopping as she looked at James and smiled. "I figure if these guys can live through two years of this, one little night of terror isn't so bad." Remus looked up and laughed. He reached over and hugged Lily again. "I'm glad you told me."

"I'm glad I did too. But please don't tell anyone; I don't' want the whole school to get freaked out and they kick me out of here." Lily nodded.

"I think you should tell Alex and Mel. Especially Mel." He turned bright red. "They care about you; they'll understand." He sighed.

"I'll tell them. I just…don't know when." They smiled at each other, causing Sirius to break the moment. He started wailing and rushed over, sitting on top of Lily and hugging her.

"Aw our Lily is so great! Isn't she just darling?" Remus and James started laughing as Lily struggled to breath. Sirius stood up and really hugged her. "You really are the greatest Lily." He turned to James. "Lucky bastard."

James turned to Lily and beamed. "Aren't I though?" They smiled at each other, finally leaning in for a very sweet kiss on the lips.


	16. Some Great Gals

His Final Year

**Chapter Sixteen: Some Great Gals **

It seemed as though Remus and the Marauders hadn't even told Lily about Remus's secret; she never uttered a word to anyone about it, including them, and she never hinted at it. To Remus's pure delight, she didn't treat him any different. Life was going back toward sanity at Hogwarts.

James and Lily were curled up on the big couch in their dorm, a big fire burning beautifully in the fireplace. James was stretched completely out on the couch, Lily lying beside him, her head on his chest. They had Head duties to discuss, but they always figured that they should at least be allowed to be comfortable when discussing such important things.

James yawned loudly, shutting his eyes. Lily playfully hit his chest, causing him to open his eyes and look down at her. "Don't' you even think about going to sleep on me Mr. Potter."

He looked shocked and hurt. "Why Miss Evans, I would never dream of doing such a thing! I'm merely suggestion we both call it a night and fall asleep, if you'd like to join me."

Lily started laughing. "Not now James, we've still got work to do." He yawned again, causing her to laugh harder. He raised his eyebrows at her. "You look so funny when you yaw. It's cute." He smiled and bent his head down to kiss her.

"Alright babe, so what else should we discuss?" Lily looked away, yawning herself but trying to hide it from him. He noticed and grinned, tickling her waist. "I saw that you know!" She laughed so hard she could barely breath. He finally stopped, laughing with her. She rested against his chest, trying to regain her breath. He played with her hair, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Hey I've got an idea…why don't we organize a dance?"

Lily was about to sit up, but she realized it wasn't nearly as comfortable as James. She smiled at him, laying her head back on his chest. "You mean like a school dance?"

He kissed the top of her head. "Yeah. Everyone could have a chance to dress up, couples could have some time for them, Remus could grow the balls to ask Mel out." Lily laughed. "You know it'd be like those one muggle thingys…ummm…"

Lily smiled. "Proms."

"Yeah exactly. It could be a winter dance, like the weekend before school breaks for Christmas. So what do you think?" Lily yawned again and nodded against his chest.

"I love it." She looked up at him, smiling. He smiled back and kissed her cheek. She shut her eyes and kissed him right on his lips, neither pulling away for quite some time. Lily finally broke the kiss, lying back down on James, curling up until they both fell asleep.

* * *

James and Lily woke up to a great amount of pressure on both of them. Lily opened her eyes first; James just groaned and started yelling. "Padfoot get your fat ass off of us now!" When he made no attempt to get off of James and Lily, James pushed Sirius as hard as he could onto the floor, causing Lily and Remus to start laughing. "Padfoot my dear friend, I'm sorry to tell you this; you need to lose some weight my fat friend."

Sirius's eyes became as big as saucers. "No, my dear Prongs! Say it isn't so!" He took off running out the door, stopping the first girl he saw, which happened to be a fifth year. He pulled his shirt up, looking straight at her. "Don't lie to me…am I fat?"

The poor girl nearly fainted. "Well, umm…n-no…y-you look very fit." Sirius sighed and hugged her tight. He let go and grinned at her, causing her to hold her breath. He ran back into the room where James, Lily, and Remus were holding their sides from laughing so hard.

Sirius ran right at James and jumped on him. "You liar! How dare you?" Sirius finally got off of James, allowing Lily to snuggle closer to him again.

James looked as his friends, grinning like mad. "So why in the hell did you two wake us up this early on a Saturday?" Lily yawned and kissed James on the cheek.

Remus sighed and looked down. "I'm going to tell them."

Lily and James both sat up and stared at him. Sirius remained quite, looking at Remus as well. James ran a hand through his hair, locking eyes with Sirius. They understood how hard this was for their friend; besides the Marauders, he had never told anyone and now he was about to tell his crush.

Lily walked over and gave him a hug. "When?" Remus shrugged and looked at the floor again. "They'll understand. They care about you and love you." He just nodded, unable to say anything. "Want me to get them?" He finally looked at her, but he could only nod. She hugged him again and headed out the door.

Remus looked at James, putting on a smile. "She really is the best you know?"

James grinned and sat back. "That she is. She's got me hooked."

Sirius laughed. "Hell she's got you whipped boy! You belong to her now buddy." James just grinned, not saying anything. Remus sighed.

"I'm so nervous. I really like her guys. I mean…she's going to…"

James sat up again and butted in. "…be exactly like Lily. She's right Moony; the girls all love you and care about you. It won't change."

Remus sighed again. "I just don't want her to be scared of me."

Sirius walked over and hit Remus across the head. "Have you not listened to anything the future Mrs. Prongs has said like ever? As she said 'you're too sweet to be scary'. I always thought you were a better listener than dear old Prongs and I!"

Remus smiled at his friends and took a deep breath. The door finally opened and Lily walked in, followed by Mel and Alex. Mel took one look at Remus and blushed, which everyone but Remus noticed. Lily walked in and sat next to James, Mel and Alex sitting wherever they could find a seat. No one spoke for a while until Mel broke the silence.

"Well…what's going on?" Remus sighed and cleared his throat.

"Um…well I wanted to talk to you and Alex about something rather important about me. James and Sirius already know and Lily just recently found out. I asked her not to tell you because I felt I needed to so don't be mad at her." Lily smiled at him. He smiled for a second, then sighed again. "When I was young I was…I was bitten by a werewolf."

Mel and Alex gasped. "Every full month I go to the Shrieking Shack by traveling under a secret tunnel under the Whomping Willow. When James, Sirius, and Peter found out, they became illegal Animagi. They transform and sneak out and we go all around the grounds together."

Mel and Alex reacted much like Lily. Neither said anything, just sat there, taking it in. Remus started getting extra nervous, worrying that they were going to freak out and leave. Instead they both rushed over and hugged him, giving him a kiss on each cheek. Mel smiled at him. "You had me scared to death! I thought you were dying or something!" She laughed and hugged him again, both of them closing their eyes and just hugging each other.

Sirius grabbed Alex and threw her on his lap, grinning at her. "You know, I turn into a leprechaun every two weeks…" He puckered up his lips as though to kiss her; she grabbed a pillow and hit him as hard as she could right in the face.

"Not on your life Mr. Black!" Lily and James laughed and stared at the frustrated lovers, smiling at each other. James leaned over and kissed her, both of them glad they were actually together.


	17. Thankyou Fate

His Final Year

**Chapter Seventeen: Thank-you Fate**

After very little persuasion, Dumbledore made it known to the entire school that a dance was to take place. The Friday before holidays began, forth years and up were invited to the dance. And the Thursday before the dance, Hogsmeade was buzzing with tons of excited girls and many not quite as excited boys. The Marauders, Lily, Alex, and Mel all walked down to the village together, stopping right before they entered.

James grabbed Alex and darted behind a tree really fast. Lily and Sirius, as well as the others, stood shocked for a minute, then started toward them. Before they could reach them, James and Alex reappeared, Alex grinning like mad and giggling. James shushed her and laughed as he looked at Sirius and Lily. "We did nothing wrong. I had a very professional matter to discuss with Miss Alex."

Alex laughed and nodded. Lily just smiled and walked over to James, kissing him as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Sirius walked over and threw his hand over Alex's shoulder, causing Alex to groan. "I knew you wouldn't leave me for dear Prongs. You couldn't possibly live without me!"

Alex scoffed. "Yes I couldn't live without your arrogance! I thrive off it!" Sirius gasped and hugged her.

"You've accepted it! I'm so happy I could cry!" Everyone laughed as Alex tried to get as far away from him as possible. Lily looked and James and grinned.

"I think arrogance is a Marauder trait. You guys are so full of yourselves. Well…except Remus." Alex called out an 'Amen!' as she ran faster to get away from Sirius. "Alex, how is Mel always gets the nice, normal, sweet guys?"

Alex laughed. "She's blonde!" Everyone laughed, except Remus and Mel, who glanced at each other and blushed. Alex and Sirius finally joined the group, Alex still staying far away from Sirius. "Alright shall we leave then?" Everyone nodded and Alex approached James and Lily. "Alright Mister Potter, kiss your woman then let's go. You're not allowed to see what she's wearing until the dance."

Lily was about to glare at Alex when James bent down and kissed her. He smiled and whispered in her ear. "Get something to match your eyes."

Lily smiled as he turned with his friends, walking down the pathway that led to Hogsmeade. Alex and Mel threw their arms around her waist, all watching the guys go. James turned once more, winked at Lily, then followed his friends into a store. Lily sighed and smiled.

Mel squeezed Lily tight around her waist. "You're a lucky lady Lily. He's great for you."

Alex nodded and hugged her too. "He's the only for you." Lily laughed and hugged them both, until they finally headed down to the village, going into the first dress store they could find. They rushed from store to store, trying on dresses whenever they spotted one they liked. Alex got hers first, so she began to help Mel and Lily. Mel finally found the perfect one, so they all had to find something James would love on Lily.

After sometime, Lily began to lose hope. She couldn't find anything she liked. As they hit the last store they knew of, Lily was beginning to wonder what she was going to do if she didn't find a dress. She sighed and searched another rack, gasping as she grabbed a dress. Before Alex and Mel could see it, she rushed into a stall and slipped it on. Alex and Mel grew excited, continually hoping she would come out at that second. She finally did, and they gasped.

"Lily…it's perfect." Mel and Alex were both stunned. They led Lily over to a mirror, and Lily was shocked at exactly how perfect the dress was.

Lily sighed. "It is pretty isn't it?" Alex could've bet her over the head.

"Pretty? Pretty? You're calling that dress pretty?" Mel laughed and translated it for Lily.

"Lily, that dress is gorgeous and on top of that, you look gorgeous in it. You have to buy it." Lily smiled, at least until she looked at the price tag. She sighed.

"Well, sorry girls, but it's not leaving the store…at least with me. I can't afford this, and even if I could, I wouldn't want to spend this much on a dress." Alex and Mel were stunned.

"But Lily it's perfect on you. We'll help you pay for it we have to." Mel nodded her head while Lily shook hers.

"No I don't want you guys to. It's too much." Lily sighed. "I'm not getting it." She headed into the dressing room, Alex and Mel talking to her from outside. Alex sat down, surprisingly calm.

"What are you going to wear then? Your dress robes?" Lily's laugh floated over the stall door.

"I always thought Alex was the sarcastic one Mel. I don't know, I'll wear one of the dresses I brought from home. Hey can I wear your black one with the blue trim?" Mel sighed.

"Of course, but I still say you should buy that one. It's so beautiful Lily." Lily emerged shaking her head.

"No I can't. I'll live with it." They headed out to find some jewelry and shoes, not stopping until the sun began to go down.

* * *

The common room was completely empty, which didn't bother Sirius at all. He loved people and noise, but he also liked quite. He was just about to go out and explore the castle when he heard a noise. He spun around, arms raised and ready to fight.

Alex laughed. "Yeah, that's a great look for you Mr. Tough Muscles. Very nice." He sighed and lowered his arms, smiling.

"Thought you might like that. Showing off my muscular manness…" He flexed his arms, causing Alex to scoff. She turned around and started to go back up to her dorm. Sirius started going toward her. "Alex wait…"

She sighed but didn't turn around. "What Black?" He reached the end of the stairs, and she finally turned around. They both just stood for a while, looking at each other. "What Black?"

He sighed. "I don't know. I truly don't know what to say. I just didn't want you to leave." She just stared at him.

"What are you talking about?" He sighed again and ran a hand through his hair, mentally thinking that he and James truly spent too much time together.

"I like you Alex. I really do. It may be hard to accept and you may not believe me, but it's true. I like you a lot…I have since the Death Eater attack. I got so worried that maybe you wouldn't be ok. And I truly didn't know what I was going to do if you weren't. I'm not saying I love you, or that I expect you to love me, but I just wanted you to know that I like you."

Sirius turned and headed back to his dorm. "Sirius wait." He turned around and saw Alex on the bottom step. They both just stared at each other again.

"What Alex?"

Alex smiled. "I don't know." She leaned over and kissed him. It wasn't rough or heated; it was sweet. Sirius had no idea what the hell was going on until the shock wore off. She broke the kiss off, uncertainty in her eyes. Sirius stepped up so he was on the same step as her, and cupped her face, bringing his lips to hers in another gentle kiss. Alex smiled against his lips and kissed him back.

Sirius pulled away, but still held her face. He smiled at her and whispered to her. "Will you go to the dance with me?"

Alex sighed but had a smile on her face. "I suppose." She kissed him again and headed upstairs. Before she opened the door, she called back to him without turning around. "Goodnight Sirius."

Sirius laughed. "Goodnight Alex." She entered her dorm and he just stood at the foot of the stairs for a moment. He finally turned around and skipped upstairs.

As the door closed, a sigh came from the couch. "I thought for sure Mel and Remus were going to get together before they were."

James laughed. "Nah, Sirius has had a crush on her for a while. Remus is still really nervous with Mel. It might take some time for them." He laughed again and kissed the top of her head. "I can't believe our friends like each other. It's so weird."

Lily smiled and snuggled closer to his body. "Fate worked her magic." Her breathing changed and she fell asleep, comfortably in James's arms.

James looked at his sleeping girlfriend and kissed the top of her head again. "Thank-you Fate."

**Author's Note: Did I have anybody thinking James was a cheater? Sorry if I did, but don't we all know that James is too sweet for that? Alright well the dance is next!**


	18. Dresses, Dances, and Drama

His Final Year

**Chapter Eighteen: Dresses, Dances, and Drama**

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god the dance!" Alex jumped from Mel and Lily, freaking out completely. Mel and Lily groaned loudly, Lily grabbing Alex and throwing her to the ground as she approached her.

"Man…dating Sirius Black sure has changed her. She's never been like this about a guy before." Mel just laughed and threw a pillow at Alex. Alex stood up, threw the pillow back at Mel, and sat on Lily's bed.

"I'm really nervous. I mean, Sirius is so great and I'm worried that I'm going to do something stupid at the dance and screw everything up." She sighed and looked down. "I really, really like him. More than I've ever liked anyone else. He's so great, and I don't want to lose him." Mel and Lily looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

Mel got up and sat next to Alex on Lily's bed. "Alex, you're great and Sirius has liked you for quiet some time. You and him are going to have a wonderful time at the dance."

Lily nodded. "Just be yourself…you already know he likes that." Alex hugged both her friends and laughed. They all took their time getting out of bed, but after they all showered they became dedicated to getting ready. They started with hair first, doing one at a time. Alex was first; Lily and Mel decided to have it straight and down. To add a romantic affect, Lily ran outside and picked a flower that matched her dress perfectly. She hurried into the room, stopping dead in her tracks after she shut the door.

"Ok, what are you two grinning at like that for?" Mel and Alex just turned to each other, winked, and nodded at Lily's bed. Lily walked over and grabbed a letter that was resting on a package. She opened the envelope and read the note out loud.

_Here's to the girl of my dream, the thief of my heart, and the love of my life. I can't wait to see tonight, beautiful._

_James_

Mel scoffed. "Like he needed to sign it. We all knew it was him." Lily just smiled against her will. She read the note one more time…then one more time. Alex coughed, causing Mel to laugh. "Are you going to open the package Lily?" Lily jumped back into reality and looked down at the package. She slowly untied the bow, and even more slowly took off the lid. She gasped and covered her mouth.

"Oh my god Lily…it's the dress!" Lily couldn't believe it; it was her dress! She slowly reached out and picked the dress up as though it would shatter if she weren't careful. Mel screamed and ran over, standing behind Lily and marveling at the dress. Alex just stood were she was, a smug little grin on his face.

"Well would you look at that! It's your dress…wonder how he know you wanted that one. Rather shocking guy, that James Potter is." Lily looked at her, shocked.

"You told him to get this?" Mel looked at Alex, just as shocked as Lily. Alex just laughed.

"Nope. Well, sort of. But not really. Ok you remember when we went shopping and James pulled me aside?" She paused, but neither Mel nor Lily said anything so she shrugged and continued. "Ok well, he told me to keep an eye for something you really liked Lily. So when you said you wouldn't get the dress, James gave me money and I went and bought it later the week."

Lily just stood there, her jaw dropped, staring at her friend. "I can't decide if I should hug you or murder you!" Mel and Alex both just laughed. Lily sent the dress down and gave Alex a big hug, careful to not mess up her hair. Alex just hugged her tight.

"He's the one for you Lily. He really is." Alex and Lily pulled away and motioned for Mel to join them and they all group hugged for a few moments. Lily laughed.

"Alright ladies time to finish getting ready!" Lily put the flower in Alex's hair and Alex began work on Mel's hair, pulling it up into a very elegant French twist. Mel loved it and after taking a few moments to admire it, she and Alex thought about what to do with Lily's hair. They finally settled on pulling half of it up with a few curls around her face. They moved onto make-up, each doing their own but getting tips from the others.

After they had only about fifteen minutes until the dance began, they helped each other put on their dresses. Mel put hers on first; it was a strapless one, starting as a darker pink with a lighter pink section at the end, and a white section beneath that. After adjusting it here and there, she was completely ready for the dance. Alex was next to put her dress on; she had also chosen a strapless one, only hers was dark blue with a light blue swirl through the middle. Finally, Alex and Mel turned to Lily, and helped her put her dress on. Looking even better the second time, the girls could barely wait to show their Marauder how great they looked.

* * *

The girls finally headed down as the dance was about to start, stopping on the stairwell leading to their guys. Even though Mel and Remus weren't officially going together, Remus was there waiting. He saw Mel first and gapped at her. She blushed and walked down the stairs as he approached her. He grabbed her hand and kissed it gently, looking up to meet her eyes. "You look beautiful." Mel blushed even harder. They turned and headed over to the side, waiting for their friends to join them, just as Sirius turned and saw Alex.

His jaw dropped, but he still managed to make it to her at the end of the stairs. He just stared at her for a while. Alex just stared at him, a little smile on her lips. "You…look…absolutely amazing." Alex laughed and kissed him. Sirius led her over to Remus and Mel, waiting on the last couple to join them.

Lily slowly made it down the stairs, stopping halfway there as James turned and saw her. He looked her up and down, amazed at how great she looked. He knew right when he saw her that the dress had been the greatest thing he had ever bought; it was a spaghetti strapped light green dress with small beads above her stomach. It waved out at the bottom, and the color brought her eyes out to an even more amazing glow. She slowly started walking down the stairs again, stopping as James ran up the stairs and pulled her into a kiss. They finally broke away, both smiling like mad. "You look seriously beautiful babe. Love the dress."

Lily chuckled. "You really didn't have to buy it. It was rather expensive and…" James cut her off with his laughter.

"Money's not really an issue in my family. And besides…" He laced his fingers through hers. "…I love you and I don't mind showing it sometimes." Lily blushed and followed James over to the others. James leaned over and gave Alex a kiss on the cheek, causing everyone to laugh. He turned to Lily and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before turning to the others. "Everyone ready?"

James and Lily led the way, the others close behind them. Upon entering the Great Hall, they all marveled at the great job James and Lily had done. The room was dark with strobe lights going and the decorations were great. The music was great and the food looked even better.

Everyone looked like they were having a great time, but one thing was missing; no one was dancing. Everyone was standing with his or her date and friends, but not one couple was dancing. James scoffed and grabbed Lily's hand leading her over to the dance floor. Lily got very nervous and tensed up. James just grinned at her and pulled her close to him, whispering into her ear. "Just relax beautiful."

James gently swayed with the music, and Lily was quickly amazed at how great a dancer James was. She slowly looked up at him with one eyebrow raised. "Where did you learn to dance so well?"

James just kept grinning. "My dad taught me when I was younger. We used to go to formal parties for their work so I had to learn." Lily just laughed and rested her head on his chest, completely content in his arms. All eyes were on them, but to James and Lily, they were the only two in the room.

As the song came to an end, James put a hand under her chin and led her lips to his. Everyone else watching, teachers included, started clapping as the couple broke all the tension in the room. By the time the next song was over, there were more couples dancing and by the song after that, barely anyone was just standing around. Sirius and Alex were laughing and dancing, as were Mel and Remus. James and Lily were nearby, James dipping Lily and twirling her around. Lily was laughing so hard she could barely breath.

They all headed over to a small table and sat, laughing and talking. Just as Sirius finished up his story involving James and him tricking Filch into thinking Snape had stolen Mrs. Norris, someone put their hand on Lily's shoulder. Lily, as well as everyone else, turned and saw none other than Lily's ex, Matthew Henderson.

"Hello Lily."

Lily smiled. "Hello Matthew. Is there anything I could help you with?"

Matthew just sort of chuckled. "Well I was wondering, if it's ok, could I have a dance? I mean, it's ok but if you don't mind, I'd love one."

Sirius, Remus, Mel, and Alex all turned and stared at James, who was surprisingly smiling. Lily turned and looked at him, hoping for some help. James leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Go ahead sweetheart." Lily grabbed him and kissed him on the lips, then headed off for a quick dance. Once Lily and Matthew were dancing, James ran his hand through his hair. "I hate that guy!"

Sirius and Remus were equally pissed. "Yeah…where does he get off asking Lily to dance?"

Alex just sighed. "Lily and him are still friends. She's not trying to cheat on James or anything."

Matthew cleared his throat. "You look very nice tonight by the way. The dress is really nice."

Lily smiled. "Thanks. James actually bought it for me." Matthew stopped smiling.

"So you and him are really together huh?" Lily just stared at him.

"Yeah we have been for a while now." Matthew sighed.

"He's not good enough for you. You deserve someone better…" He bent down next to her ear. "…like me."

Lily pushed him away. "Don't you ever talk about James not being good enough. And if you remember correctly, you broke up with me. You had your chance and you lost it."

Lily turned and hurried back to the table, not making it two steps before Matthew grabbed her and kissed her. She opened her eyes and tried to push him away but he was too strong for her. The only thing she could think about was James.

The next thing she knew, she was free. Matthew had suddenly been torn away from her when James completely tackled him. Remus rushed over and walked Lily over to a chair, checking her over to make sure she was ok, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from James.

Several punches later, Sirius finally managed to restrain James from completely killing Matthew, who was now sporting a swollen eye that was going to be pitch black tomorrow and a busted lip. James looked down at him, fury beyond anything in his eyes. "Stay away from her." With that, he broke from Sirius's grip and ran to Lily. He kneeled down in front of her and pushed a piece of hair away from her face. "Are you alright?"

Lily just looked at him, tears burning her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I-"

"What is going on here! Mr. Potter explain yourself now!" Professor McGonagall ran up, her hands on her hips.

Alex and Mel rushed to her. "It was Matthew. He was dancing with Lily and he kissed her and wouldn't let her go. She was trying to push him away but she couldn't so James went to help."

Mel was nodding the whole time. "He could've done worse if James hadn't done something!"

Professor McGonagall nodded. "Alright…be that as it may, twenty points from Gryffindor for fighting. I'll deal with Mr. Henderson." Everyone turned their attention back to James and Lily, who looked as they hadn't heard a word.

James leaned over and whispered in Lily's ear. "You want to take a walk with me?" Lily just nodded, hoping she could explain this.

James stood up and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. They headed out onto the grounds and just walked in silence for a moment. Lily finally stopped. "James, I'm so sorry. We were just dancing then he started saying you weren't good enough for and I said that was stupid so I tried to leave but he just grabbed me and he was too strong…" She couldn't fight it anymore; the tears just started falling, and she couldn't control them.

James took off his jacket and put it around Lily. He reached over and wrapped his arms around her as she just clung to him. He slowly rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head. "It's ok babe. I saw what happened. It's alright…. it's alright…" Lily shook her head against his chest.

"I love you so much James." James just smiled and pulled away, cupping her face and kissing her gently on the lips. Lily smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. They finally pulled away, and James hugged her again.

"I love you too Lily. More than you know."

**Author's Note: I'm so sorry this took so long! Every time I tried to write something can up. Apologizes a plenty! I hope you liked it. I tried to put as much lily and James romance in as I could, so I hope it makes up for the long wait!**


	19. Brilliance

His Final Year

**Chapter Nineteen: Brilliance**

There were two more days until winter break began, and the students at Hogwarts were beginning to rejoice. The teachers had slowed down and with them the workload. They realized break was here, and no more work would get finished. There was just so much to do: party planning, invitations for friends, gift buying, packing for vacation.

There was also so much to talk about. The students couldn't help but notice that ever since the dance their Head Boy and Girl had grown apart. They weren't seen together nearly as often, and when they were their communication seemed cold and bitter. There were no more innocent kisses in the halls, no hands being held on the grounds, no outbursts of laughter in classes. Both the students and the teachers were scared for the cutest couple at Hogwarts.

"What are we going to do? They're breaking apart and we can't come up with anything! I mean Moony and I can't even think of something and we're the Marauders!" Sirius finally stopped pacing and threw himself on his bed.

Their friends were going bonkers. It was just two days after the dance and already Mel, Remus, Sirius, and Alex were all terrified for their friends and trying their best to come up with some way to help. They had been talking for well over two hours in the boy's dormitory and not one of them could think of something.

Mel sighed. "Is there even something we can do? This seems so weird from both of them."

Alex nodded. "They both seem so unlike themselves. James isn't putting any effort into the relationship or even noticing Lily's around. And Lily…did you guys know she ate lunch with Matthew yesterday?"

Sirius and Remus nearly wet themselves. "What?"

Mel nodded. "Yeah she couldn't find James and Matthew invited her to sit with him."

Sirius was pacing and swearing, while Remus just took a deep breath. "How'd that go? Them having lunch together?"

Alex tried to calm Sirius down while Mel explained. "Lily was crazy. We couldn't hear anything, but she was definitely not herself. One second she'd be laughing this really annoying girly laugh that wasn't hers, the next she looked like she was mad, the next she was on the verge of tears, the next she was invading his personal space too much. It was like she was possessed."

Sirius scoffed. "Or on her period."

Alex punched him hard on his arm and glared. "She is not on her period you jerk."

Sirius grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap. "Sorry hun, I'm just frustrated. Was she trying to make Prongs jealous?"

Remus shook his head. "He had detention with Mom during lunch."

Both girls looked confused. "Mom?"

Remus kept looking at Sirius. "McGonagall."

Sirius nodded. "She bitches at us like a mom." The girls just shrugged at each other. "What do we do?"

Mel sighed again. "What we always do with them; hope they figure it out." The meeting came to an end.

* * *

"Hello sexy lady." Lily looked up from her dinner and broke into a grin.

"Matthew!" He grinned and sat down, his leg 'accidentally' bumping into her butt. She giggled, making Alex, Mel, Sirius, and Remus gag.

"Now Matthew, none of that, silly!" Matthew just continued to grin and took a sip of her drink. Lily's smiled disappeared and her eyes hardened. Matthew couldn't help but notice.

"What's wrong baby?" He leaned closer to her, but she moved away.

"You didn't even ask if you could have a drink. That was really rude."

"Come on baby, it's not that big of a deal. It's just a drink."

Lily's voice grew. "Stop calling me baby, I hate that!" She started getting tears in her eyes. "James never called me baby, you can't either."

Matthew rolled his eyes. "Stop bringing him up all the time! God you're so emotional sometimes, I can't imagine what you're like on your period."

The tears disappeared from Lily's eyes in three seconds. "I can't believe you just said that!"

"What the hell? You're so irritating!" Lily suddenly softened up and giggled, clinging to him.

"I'm sorry, I'm just acting silly I guess!" Matthew stood up, making Lily raise an eyebrow.

"You know what, I think you're mental!" His voice had grown so loud that everyone in the Great Hall looked at the pair. "How Potter ever put up with you for so long is a puzzle to me. Thank God I cheated on you when I did." He threw his hands in the air. "Potter can have you for all I care." With that, he turned and flew out of the Great Hall, leaving everyone to stare at Lily, who was staring out the door.

Before anyone could utter a word, James strode into the Great Hall, pausing at the door and staring at Lily. The whole crowd held their breath, looking back and forth between the two.

After what seemed like an eternity of just staring at each other, they both slowly made their way to each other. When they were about a table away, Lily broke into a run as they both broke into a grin. James stopped where he was as Lily jumped into his arms and kissed him.

Everyone watching was smiling at the two, completely confused. They had absolutely no idea what was going on, but by the look of the kiss between James and Lily, it wasn't a bad thing.

After they finally broke apart, still grinning like mad, their friends ran up to them. They just stared at them until Sirius finally asked the question on everyone's mind. "What the hell is going on between you two?"

Lily just laughed. "Ever since the dance, Matthew wouldn't leave me alone. He kept pestering me all the time and wouldn't leave James or me alone."

James wrapped an arm around her waist. "So my brilliant and I guess 'irritating' girlfriend came up with an idea."

Lily smiled. "We'd pretend our relationship was on the rocks, we weren't as close, it was near the end. Meanwhile, I spent as much time with Matthew, annoying him the whole time. I was loud, overly talkative, and emotional. Oh and I mentioned James whenever I could."

Alex was furious. "So this whole time we were freaking out about your relationship, you were faking and actually were completely fine?"

James and Lily grinned at each other and nodded. Mel and Remus started laughing. "That's completely brilliant!" Everyone else started laughing with them, slowly going back to their dinner but still talking about the exciting event.

* * *

After being congratulated for their brilliance by practically everyone at dinner, James and Lily finally made it back to the Head Boy and Girl dorm. James plopped down on the couch, a goofy and triumphant grin on his face. Lily, on the other hand, sat down softly on a chair next to the couch, an upset look on her face.

James sat up, grabbed her hands, and kissed her temple. "What's wrong sweetheart?"

Lily looked up and smiled, giving his hand a little squeeze, "Nothing, I'm just tired." James wasn't convinced.

"Lily, please don't lie to me. I know something's wrong." Lily looked down, unable and unwilling to make eye contact. When James tilted her face up to look him in the eye, his heart nearly broke; she had tears in her eyes. "Lily, sweetie, please talk to me."

Lily closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, her eyes still closed. "I didn't know he cheated on me."

James scooted closer to her. "What do you mean?"

Lily sighed and finally looked at him, tears slowly falling from her eyes. "Before he walked out of the Great Hall, Matthew said he was glad he cheated on me." More tears started falling, and she chuckled slightly as James held her hands. "I know it's stupid to cry over someone like him, but…I just feel…like I'm not good enough. I'm not enough, there's more that I don't have."

James scoffed. "Yeah all the bad qualities someone can have." Lily smiled a little. "Lily, you're plenty and more. You're the most amazing and wonderful person I've ever met. He cheated on you because you're not a whore, and assholes tend to like whores.

Lily grinned. "Is that why you and Sirius always got so many girls?"

James's eyes narrowed. "So that's how it is? I see. Well, Miss Evans all I have to say to you is…" He grinned and stood up, throwing Lily over his shoulder. She shrieked and laughed as James spun around and threw both of them on the couch. They both laughed, James pulling Lily closer to him and kissing the top of her head as Lily snuggled into him.

"Lily what are you doing for Christmas?"

She snuggled closer. "I don't know. My folks were never really big on Christmas and I can't stand my sister's boyfriend, but I still need to visit them a little while. I don't know, I'll probably hang out at Mel's or Alex's." She leaned up and kissed his chin. "Why, what are you doing?"

James grinned and kissed her. "You want to stay at my place?" Lily raised an eyebrow, causing James to laugh. "I talked to my parents, and you're more than welcome. We have plenty of room, the Marauders will be over which means Mel and Alex can come over anytime, and we always have a huge New Year's party. What do you-"

Lily leaned up and kissed him. "I love it. I have to talk it over with my par-"

James cut her off with a kiss. "No you don't. My parents already talked to yours, and they're fine with it. We'll pick you up two days before Christmas."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "What if I hadn't wanted to?" James, unsure of what to say, just opened and closed him mouth repeatedly. Lily rolled her eyes and laughed. "God I love you." James grinned and kissed her again and again.

**Author's Note: Yes, the story still exists! Shocking, I know. I'm so sorry this took so long, I hope you like it. I know Matthew didn't last long, I decided after the last chapter that I just totally hated his character. Don't worry, he's not coming back, but there's larger issues coming up. (hint hint)**


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